Death & The Confused Kid
by Alex McM
Summary: It was supposed to be a holiday! Instead, I walked into a world of creepy ghosts and monsters and this kid at school who runs around with a giant sword. I can feel myself being drawn into something dangerous...and I want to know more! SI
1. I love Japan

**Death And The Confused Kid**

I have read several stories putting the author themselves into the plot. They are quite enjoyable, but I have not read one for Bleach yet, so I thought I'd do it. I shall try and be as exact as possible with my personality, so expect some fucking weird moments, most likely some cowardice and long silences...and perversion ( Don't judge me! Everybody is guilty of it at least once in their life!!) So read on and enjoy...Bleach is about to get a character stranger than they could ever anticipate!

AIRPORT – SYDNEY

I gaze at my ticket while waiting for the endless lines of people to get served. I think of cutting in, but I don't...I'm not confident enough that I'd get away with it. I want to hum, but a self conscious anxiety makes my lips tighten. I watch people as they rush around and with growing dread, realise I'll have to rush about soon enough as well. Like I usually do when I'm not doing anything...I zone out. To walkers by, I probably look stoned, with a blank stare and frozen body. My eyes lazily follow an attractive woman in her mid twenties as she walks hurriedly across the crowded area. I stop myself from smiling, so as not to look obvious.

"Can I help you?"

The voice startles me and causes me to break my spell of pointlessness. "Uh...I have a flight to Japan...' I say loudly, over the collective roaring of the crowd. I show her my ticket and she checks it. It's fine. I fake a smile and wander over to the waiting lounge, but there is another barrier in my way...a security check. It's not like I'm carrying a weapon or anything, but the whole effort put into it when I'm innocent bores me. Before the man even asks, I take out all metal objects from my pockets. I put my phone in a small basket, then my keys, Ipod, wallet. The man signals for me to go through and I walk through the scanner, disguised flawlessly as a gate.

I come out the other side and look out the window. Planes are lining up on the tarmac, but mine does not arrive for a while. I turn to face the guard, staring at his moustache, which has a few crumbs trapped within. I don't really understand what he's saying, but nod anyway. I sit down on a comfy red seat and take out my Ipod.

I scroll through the list of music. I'm spoiled for choice. I can either listen to metal, metal, metal, metal...or if I'm in the mood for it...metal. I choose one out of sixty-two songs by In Flames and tap my foot with the fast beat. I'd bang my head, but again, self consciousness sinks it's fang in. I zone out again (I do it a hell of a lot) now with music to accompany my staring at nothing.

The file must be corrupted or something, as an annoying whine keeps interrupting the screams in the chorus. I take out the headphones and notice a baby crying. I glare at it with all the contempt I can muster and wish for the child to either die or be shut up in a non-violent way, but I don't mind either way. Almost disappointingly, the mother yells at the baby and it stops it's crying. My finger hovers over the play button, when another interruption comes.

"Where are you going?" It's a girl. I look up, first noticing her exposed cleavage, then her face.

"Um...Japan, what about you?" I mutter.

"I'm on your flight then!" She beams over excitedly. I don't know why she's so peppy. I don't know her at all; she's probably a Sydney-sider. "I love Japan! It's such a beautiful country!"

I don't need to point out the obvious, but I'd rather have small talk than an extended awkward silence...there will be enough of them on the flight. "So you've been before?"

"Yeah! I was a foreign exchange student." She bounces and my eyes drift down to her chest and back up with masterful speed.

"Is that why you're going back?"

"No! This is a holiday now!" She beams. "What about you?"

"I inherited a shitload of money from an Uncle I've never even heard of." I say simply. "So...a holiday." I feel stupid, but so should she, bouncing around like a ping pong ball with legs...and breasts.

She sits down next to me. Great! A new 'friend'...She'll probably ask me for my MSN or some stupid thing.

"What's your name?"

I'm surprised that she asks that before something related to a social networking site, which I overhear a trio of girls chatter about nearby. "Alex."

The girl laughs as if I'd just told her the funniest joke ever written. She's absolutely cracking up; leaving me to wonder what the hell is so funny. Despite not feeling embarrassed, my cheeks go red, or at least I assume so, because they feel hot.

"That's my name too!" She bursts out, before starting another boisterous laugh. A strange thought pops into my head...this is what the female 'me' would look like...I like it! Much better than the male version. "I'm Alex!" She extends a hand to shake. I stare at it for several seconds before shaking it. "Where you sitting?" She asks. I have no idea what she means, but don't want to admit it, so I just look around until she spells it out for me. "What seat on the plane?"

"Oh uh..." I dig thorugh my pocket for the ticket and read out the seat name. She studies her own and giggles again. "I'm next to you! How funny!"

Oh for god's sake don't laugh!! Please don't!!

"This is going to be fun!" She says, rather suggestively. My eyes widen, but thankfully she doesn't notice. I find myself adjusting my glasses, despite being in the right position already. An announcement over the intercom tells us that the flight to Japan is loading its passengers now. The girl runs off and I slowly walk after her, taking my time to study the other passengers.

A douche bag with pants halfway down his arse jogs past and I start having homicidal thoughts (another thing I do a lot.) I'd curse, but a small toddler waddles past me. I do as instructed and find my way onto the plane. I stumble around, not really sure where I'm supposed to go. There are no visible signs, so I'm lost. I wander around like a moron, until I find Alex...the better one. I slide into the seat next to her. She's rubbing her hands as if she is cold.

"Oh, I'm so excited!!"

I nod.

"You don't look very excited..." She mutters.

"I'm just tired. It was a three hour drive to the airport." I say defensively.

"Oh, where do you live?"

"Near Newcastle..." I don't know if she's familiar with that, but she nods anyway. I feel awkward, having nearly drained everything I have to start a conversation. I decide to tune out and listen to some music. I'd rather have the window seat, with the wall to lean on, but she has it. I look to the empty seat to my right and a teenage Goth girl drifts silently into it. She does not say anything at all, already lost in her own music. She looks off into the distance and I study her up and down. She is wearing a black skirt which barely covers her legs. One leg is folded over the other, exposing even more flesh, which my eyes gobble up.

"At least try to not be obvious!" I turn to face Alex who looks angry, yet happy at the same time. I feel something short of shame, but I'm not sure if it's because I was obviously oggling her, or because I didn't get to look longer.

The plane rolls down the runway and we are soon in the air. The arm-rest is not yet raised, and the female Alex's legs are close to my idle hand. I feel the urge to cop-a-feel, but I would be caught so easily, that it is probably not worth it.

I become absorbed in a song and unwittingly scream out the chorus. My eyes widen and I look to my left, where Alex is staring at me.

"You aren't the counterweight!" She says jokingly. Yep, I screamed out loud...

"Sorry."

"Nah, I don't care!" She waves the issue aside and plays with her long black hair. In the first few minutes of boredom, I take inventory of what she is wearing. She has a white top and judging from the pink strap coming out from underneath, I deduce the colour of her bra. She wears a plaid skirt, making her look like a schoolgirl. (I like them! There may be a reason though...they are my age after all! It's not like I'm a creep!) Before she notices me spying on her, I look up towards the front, where a film is about to be played.

I decide the movie is a perfect distraction to stop an awkward silence, and to keep my wandering gaze away from my fellow passengers. A sexual assault charge would not go down well...

The title rolls onto the screen and I immediately know it's going to be shit, because the trio of girls from the lounge all cheer. It's Twilight. I feel like spitting on the people who actually enjoy this, and I begin having homicidal thoughts about the creators of this cursed series. While I imagine the author of the books being fed into a mulcher, I hear someone's voice.

"Would you like anything to drink?" It's a steward. He looks campy.

"Coffee." I answer quickly. "Cappuccino, two sugars, chocolate on top." There, I answered all of his questions before they were even asked. He walks off and I lay back in the seat.

"Do you drink coffee?" It's the Goth girl this time. She looks at me and I notice the heavy rings of eyeliner that adorn her face.

"Yeah." I answer simply.

"Gross. I thought you'd be cool because I could hear your Ipod..." She sounds disappointed.

I ignore her and look at the movie. A pathetic-looking boy with skin whiter than a sheet and a soft face transforms into a vampire, and by that, I mean, he grows little pussy fangs. He does not look scary or aggressive or anything. He's the worst vampire to ever be put in a movie, but the gaggle of moronic swans...I mean girls...squeal as he enters.

"Don't tell me you're watching that!" The Goth girl asks incredulously.

I laugh. "No! That's the worst piece of shit to ever be called a movie. Vampires are supposed to be evil, not gay!"

The Goth girl grins. "Maybe you are less stupid than I thought."

"Maybe..." I lean back in the chair.

"Oh...he's so cool!" One of the stupid girls calls out. I suddenly can't wait for my coffee, so that I can scald the tainted female. I become so bored that sleep takes over with an hour.

*****

KARAKURA AIRPORT

I don't know how many hours have passed, but there is a nice feeling in my left hand. I look over at the female Alex dazedly and almost scream when I see my hand is under her skirt. I, almost regretfully, withdraw it before she wakes and I act non-chalant. Thankfully, she does not notice. I sigh in relief. The plane seems to have stopped moving. People are getting off. I look around and realise we have landed. I shake Alex by the shoulder and wake her up. The Goth girl is already gone. We get off the plane and say a short goodbye, as if we are life-long friends, splitting up after a long time together.

I walk off into the terminal and take out a piece of paper in the pockets of my camo-shorts. I read the name and address and walk around looking for a cab. I overhear Japanese people conversing in their own language. I pick out a few words I learnt from watching animes. I find a cab with a driver sleeping in his seat. I knock on the window and he jumps, startled. He looks like he's having a heart-attack, or something similar.

I open the door and get inside. I show him the paper with the places address. He nods and starts up the car. We drive in silence for the whole trip. I assume it's because he can't speak English. He drops me off outside the apartment building and says something in Japanese. I haven't the faintest clue what it was, but still, I say, "Hai!" and wave. I step into the front room. A girl with chestnut brown hair waves at me and cheers something in Japanese.

My blank expression reveals my confusion. "Oh sorry. I thought you spoke Japanese. I'm Orihime."

"Alex."

"I own the apartment next to yours...so I guess we're neighbours." She is wearing a schoolgirl's uniform and I take particular notice of her large breasts. She only looks my age, but has developed further than a woman in her twenties. I stray my eyes away from her chest and look at her face. Her eyes are a dull colour, almost grey.

"So, um...do you go to the local high school?" I ask.

"Yeah! You'll be going there too! You can meet Ichigo!" She is even more cheery than the girl I met in the airport.

"Who's that?" I ask.

"Oh, he's this really nice guy I know...I sort of have a crush on him, but I think he's into another girl."

I make a sad face, despite the confusion over who she's hopelessly falling for.

"Will you be staying here long?" Orihime asks, bending over in a way I can't ignore.

"Well, I bought the place...and um..." I'm not looking at her face anymore. "...I have...lot...of...mammary- Uh money!" I go red in the face at my stupid slip. "It's hot in here."

"Oh, I'll open a window then." She walks over to a high window. I can already guess what's going to happen, thanks to my perverted mind. As she get's on her tip-toes and reaches higher, her skirt lifts enough to reveal her panties. I feel my eyes widen, almost popping out. I like my new neighbour...I can't wait to get to school!!

She shows me to my room and hands me the key. I twist it in the lock and stare at the dusty room inside.

"This room's been empty for a while...you may have to dust it first."

"I will..." I run a hand over the grey coffee table and create a dark reddish brown line. I blow on it and reveal the dark timber beneath. I turn around and Orihime is gone. Seconds later, she comes back with a blue feather duster. I take it form her extended hand and begins to dust the couch and tables. I wipe the TV screen with my finger and the tip becomes black. Orihime brings another duster and starts off on the opposite side of the room. She forces small talk while we work.

"What's Australia like? Do you have kangaroos?"

I almost laugh but stop myself before saying. "Yes. We ride them to school."

"REALLY?!!" She claps excitedly. "That's so awesome!!"

"Yeah, it is..." I mutter.

"You sound tired." She says sympathetically.

"Yeah...I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday." I wipe my weary eyes and feel crust come away. "I just want to lie down and rest!" I drop the duster and give up.

Orihime looks sad, I feel sorry for her, feeling sorry for me (it sounds retarded, but think about it.)

"You can sleep in my apartment tonight." She suggests. I almost collapse. My luck seems to be improving.

"I don't want to be a hassle." I say, expecting the reverse psychology to work.

"It won't be!" It does work. "You can go rest and I'll try and fix this up a bit." She hands me the key to her apartment and I drag myself there. I collapse onto her couch and turn on the TV. I cycle through several channels until I find an anime. I sit and watch Hellsing for an hour, before Orihime returns.

"You hungry?"

"Yeah, famished." I respond. I almost regret it. I'm an incredibly fussy eater.

Orihime digs through her pantry taking out a bunch of fruits and vegetables. I groan and rise to my feet.

"Um...I...don't really eat much of that stuff. Do you have any meat?" I feel silly, not accepting her first choice of a meal, but she seems very nice. She opens the fridge and takes out a few sausages and some bacon. I grin broadly. I feel at home now. "We Aussies love snags. It's pretty much a delicacy in our country."

"They are nice." She says, popping them in the pan. "I hear you Australians love barbeques, we don't have them."

"They are the bogans oven." I say. She doesn't understand the joke, so I explain it to her. She then nods and makes a small laugh. "So...I might get some sleep early. Could I have a blanket for the couch?"

"What? I thought you were going to sleep in the bed?" Orihime says, nearly shocked by my words.

"Oh, I thought you were gonna sleep there."

"I am."

"I'm confused." I mutter. Orihime giggles. I'm beginning to like her laugh. It's rather sweet.

"Sleeping in bed with someone doesn't mean that much to us. You're country must be different."

"Uh-huh." I nod slowly.

"You get in the bed and I'll bring it to you." She sounds like a mother...or a waitress, which is great because I'm incredibly lazy. I retire to her bedroom and study the flower-print covers. I get in and instantly feel more tired.

Soon enough, she approaches me with a small tray. Sausage 'sangers' are arranged neatly. I tuck into them and devour them ravenously. I finish faster than Kobayashi when he eats hot dogs.

"I'm pretty tired too. Anyway, we have to wake up early for school." I wipe sauce from my lower lip and look up to Orihime who is undressing right in front of me. I make no attempt to stop her, or to stop looking. Somehow, she doesn't see my blatant gawking. She slides under the covers, close to me, since it is only a single. I feel her warmth and tingles run through my body. I cross my legs to hide what lurks beneath. I cannot sleep at all...only smile.

I love Japan!!

So that's it, the first chapter. You now know I am a perverted metalhead who has homicidal thoughts about people I hate...But I am still a good person!! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. The next few chapters won't be as perverted as this one...hopefully. Please review, I want to know what you think of it! 


	2. Orange Hair & Giant Sword

**2**

I wake up, unable to ignore the sensation of large breasts against my skin. I want to stay like this, but she got up first. She undresses in front of me again. I can get used to this!! She slips into a school uniform and starts packing her bag. She seems very well organised. I have no uniform yet, so I slip into another pair of camo-shorts and put on an Arch Enemy T-shirt. I get served steaming hot coffee by my temporary roommate/maid, Orihime. I down the whole thing in three large gulps, the searing hot liquid burning my throat enough to keep me awake. I then dig into some cereal, which I can't name, because it's written in Kanji.

We set off for school quickly after the short breakfast. As she walks up a set of stairs to the upper floors, I head straight through the front door to the office. An aging male principal studies my attire, distastefully. Well screw you, you old bastard!! I wish I could say it, but my lack of a metaphorical spine prevents me from doing so.

"Are you Alex?" He asks. I merely nod as he leads me into the office where a box is sitting on a chair. He opens it and instructs me to use the things inside. There is a uniform, a diary, a book and a pen. I thank him, sounding more forced than actually sincere and go off to get changed. I come back in the school's uniform. I've never wore grey pants before, I think to myself. The thought is so stupid I discard it angrily.

"Now, I know getting used to a new school can be tough, so we have arranged for someone to show you around and hopefully, be a friend."

"Okay." I start to imagine Orihime walking through the door, but instead, it is a boy with spiky orange hair. I stare at him for a while and then rise to my feet. "Hi! I'm Alex."

"Ichigo...Ichigo Kurosaki."

I suddenly realise this is the guy Orihime likes...He comes off a little bit nasty; his face is in a perpetual scowl. I still stare at his hair, even when we are led outside. "Do you dye your hair?" I ask, which is reasonable because since my arrival, he has been the only person to not have straight black or brown hair.

"No, it's natural. Why does everybody think it's fake?"

It's a rhetorical question, but I answer it anyway, we need something to talk about. "No-one else looks like that."

"Oshima does. He tried to fight me all the time, 'cause he thinks I'm copying him. I always kick his ass though!" Ichigo punched his other hand and I jump slightly. "Do you know any martial arts?"

I am taken aback by his question. "Um...yeah...Tae Kwon Do."

Ichigo kicks at the air. "Did you get very far?"

"No...Ever since I did a flying side kick and landed on a thumb-tack...I haven't gone back. I think I only reached green belt or something..." I notice a strange look in his eyes. I've seen it before in others. He want's to fight me!

He throws a quick jab which I narrowly dodge, stepping back far enough for him to not reach me. I step to the side and he chops at my side. I block it my fore arm and he laughs. "Not bad!" He then grabs my wrist and wrenches it around in a hammer lock. My arm is twisted around behind my back and folded up, but I feel no pain. Ichigo stares at my arm, and then bends my fingers far back, so that they are perpendicular to my wrist. Still, I feel nothing. He then makes an acute angle between my fingers and wrist. He makes strange noises, like a frightened kitten and steps away from me, releasing his grip.

"What the fuck, dude?! That's insane!!"

"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you. I'm double jointed!" I prove it folding my thumb into my arm. He laughs and claps. I have a truckload of party tricks because of my flexibility. They can make even my most hated enemies become temporary friends.

He shakes my hand and decides to test me by spinning it around almost 360 degrees. He screams quietly when he see's my elbow pop up. "That is so cool!! You have got to show my friends that!"

"Sure." I say, bending my arm around until they feel normal again. He begins to show me the bottom corridors, telling me they are for the junior classes mainly.

"You're going to be in I-3. That's my class. We have some weird kids in there, but they're still okay." Ichigo grins for some reason.

"Is Orihime in that class?"

"You know about her huh?" He turns to me.

"I slept with her last night." I say, remembering what Orihime said about the phrase meaning nothing. She is wrong. Ichigo's eyes widen and his jaw drops.

"Are you serious?!"

"What?" I don't understand what has happened.

"She's under-age! So are you!!" Ichigo points accusingly.

I understand now. "No! Not in that way!! My apartment had more dust than a desert, so I stayed in her apartment. She persisted that I sleep in her bed, so I did. I did not have sex with her." I explain again at the end. Ichigo nods.

"She's a strange girl...but I'd do anything to protect her." I suspect this line in itself is one of the reasons Orihime likes him. Another thought come to my warped mind. If he likes another girl more than Orihime...she must be freaking stunning. I look around change the subject.

"Where do you guys...hang out?"

"On the roof." He says simply.

"The roof?! At my school you can't even sit on the stairs!" I am immediately jealous.

"Wow, your school must be really strict."

"Not really, the teachers are just assholes." I answer, casting my gaze to the ground.

A bell rings. It's nothing like the shrieking siren I used to hear in my school, it's a normal bell.

"It's lunch time!"

*****

Ichigo and I sit on the roof, awaiting the arrival of the others. As Ichigo tucks into a sandwich, I realise I have nothing to eat, but, I'm not hungry anyway. I decide to find something to talk about while we wait. I notice a little pendant hanging from his pocket. It has a nasty looking skull on it.

"Cool pendant." I point to it. Ichigo stares suspiciously at me, then the little brown pendant, then back at me.

"You...can see it?"

"Well yeah, it's right there!" I say. I sense something strange about the little object. I have no idea what, but it's as if it is...Well, I can't describe it.

Ichigo looks tense, like really tense. I see sweat beads roll down his forehead. By now, I can't wait for his friends to come and make us forget this awkward moment.

"Is that them?" I point to three guys approaching us. One is unnaturally huge. He is a tank made of flesh and muscle, rather than steel. I should feel safe knowing someone like him is a friend, but he scares the crap out of me.

"That guy is Chad."

"It's Sado, Yasutora Sado."

"Exactly, Chad." Ichigo replies, smirking. I wave and the giant does too, waving his monstrous hand.

"I'm Mizuiro." A smaller kid walks up and shakes my hand. He has slick black hair. There's a third one behind him, but it looks as if he's trying to hide.

"Ichigo! Why'd you bring this guy? He looks like a nerd!" The boy has brown hair which is wild, hanging down the side of his face.

I turn to my fiery haired friend and ask, "Why'd you bring him? He looks like a fucking retard!"

Ichigo laughs, so does Mizuiro. Ichigo claps. "Well done. That's Keigo. He's always a bit stupid."

Keigo curses under his breath and sits down opposite from me. The others sit in a semi circle around me. We watch the small door as it opens and Orihime skips up to us. "Hi Alex, Hi Ichigo, Chad, Mizuiro." She ignores Keigo and sits near me.

"What?! Orihime is mine! You can't have her you foreign swine!" Rather than reply, I just laugh and then begin chatting with Ichigo and Orihime.

Eventually, the door opens again and a small girl walks up to me. She has jet black hair with a bang which divides her face. She has sparkling blue eyes which have me momentarily hypnotized. I get a strange feeling from her, the same as from the little pendant, but ignore it.

"Hello. I'm Rukia Kuchiki, pleased to meet you." I'm overcome with something and can't respond. I stare at her with googly eyes. Eventually, my throat unclenches and I croak out my name.

"Alex McMullen."

"That's a funny name, where are you from?"

"The name is Scottish, but I am Australian." I answer, my throat no longer sore. Rukia seems interested. She asks the same question Orihime did, about kangaroos. I give her the same answer, that we ride them. She claps and say's its awesome. I get a strong sense of Deja Vu.

"You think that's cool, wait till he shows you his trick." Ichigo forces me to stand and tells me to do my thumb trick. I do so, happily bending my thumb to what would appear to be breaking point. Rukia squeals. I then get on my knees and place my hand flat on the ground. I begin to twist it in a full circle, until my hand is in the same position, but my elbow is on top on my arm, rather than underneath. It's similar to what happened with Ichigo, but easier to do. The whole group applauds my skill. I stand up again and go on one leg. They make disgusted faces when I fold my leg and have my toes poking underneath my ribs. I let go and hop around and the cheering comes out. Even Keigo now thinks I'm amazing. It always works.

"Does that hurt?!" Orihime asks. I shake my head proudly.

"And I thought I was special." Ichigo mutters. I assume it has something to do with the pendant, which suddenly shrieks in a raspy tone. I jump and nearly empty my bowels. The others laugh, except for Ichigo and Rukia. Eventually, Orihime and Chad stop as well. The other two still bellow like hyenas.

Ichigo and Rukia share uneasy glances and both get up. "Sorry, have to go." They run off down the stairs. I look around nervously. The sensation is becoming stronger. I can feel something underneath us. I look over the railing and see Ichigo running out of the gate in a black kimono, but even stranger...he's carrying a gigantic sword on his back! It looks like an enlarged butcher-knife, with no guard. I've never seen a blade like it! Even Rukia is carrying a sword, though hers looks like a normal katana, only pure white. I watch them get out of the gate, and then they vanish into thin air. I blink and still, they are gone. What was that?!

"Are you alright, Alex?" It's Orihime. She doesn't appear worried, maybe she didn't see it. I decide to keep it to myself for now.

We sit in silence for a few minutes until the bell goes.

*****

I wander around the corridors, lost. Ichigo has been gone for an hour at the least. I have been dwelling over the strange events in my head over and over again. How could no-one notice them running about with swords...where the hell do you hide one at a school?! It makes no sense. Then there was the incident with the little ornament. Why wouldn't I be able to see it? What was that weird feeling?! I can hear myself breathing heavily. I try and calm down by thinking about Rukia and her hypnotic eyes. She was beautiful...But she seemed different to most people...

Footsteps get my attention and Ichigo finally returns, sweating and exhausted.

"Where the hell did you go?!" I note he is wearing school clothes again. He doesn't answer, casting his gaze to the floor. "Hey! Answer me!!"

"I went for...a jog...I'm just tired."

I know it's a lie, but I don't want to make him feel suspicious. I ignore his blatant lie but don't call attention to it.

As the day winds down he tells me about the school and a little bit about his friends. I learn that Chad is part Mexican and used to be an aggressive bully, but he changed his ways soon after his father died, as a sign of respect. I also find out that he was bullied by this Oshima kid as well, but could also beat him easily.

He then tells me that he first met Orihime when she was a little girl. Her brother had been hit by a car and she had alerted Ichigo's family, who run a small clinic in their own house. Her parents were scum. Really evil people and Orihime and her brother had escaped from them years ago and so now she lives alone in an apartment.

The stories about Keigo and Mizuiro aren't as interesting. He doesn't have much to say about them.

"So what about Rukia?" I ask. Ichigo falls silent and becomes tense again. "What's wrong with you? You act all weird every time I mention her and that little skull thingy."

"It's nothing..."

"Well then what about the whole samurai cosplay thing?" I say sarcastically. His eyes widen fully and he begins to tremble. I think I've got him cornered when he suddenly grabs me by the throat and slams me into the wall. I gasp as the air is squeezed out of my throat. I kick my feet about and realise they are off of the ground.

"Look Alex! You have stumbled onto something really serious! If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you!" I try to nod, but I can't, I'm beginning to pass out. "I'll explain it another time, until then, don't you dare speak about anything you've seen!" He lets me go and I collapse to my knee's choking and coughing.

The bell rings again.

Ooh, it's getting interesting now! Please review!


	3. Secrets Revealed

**3.**

I walk home alone. I am truly terrified now. For a short time, I was fearing for my life. Ichigo could have killed me if he wanted. Visions of him cleaving me in two with his giant sword flash through my mind.

I hear light footsteps behind me. Someone is running, judging by the frequency of them.

"Wait!" It's Orihime. She finally catches up to me and doubles over, wheezing. I stop and wait for her, listening to her erratic breathing. "You look awful! Did something happen?" She asks.

I want to tell her that Ichigo attacked me and that he runs around with an oversized meat cleaver when no-ones looking. His threat makes my tongue pin to my jaw. I give her no answer, making her suspicious. She raises an eyebrow, expecting a response.

"I'm fine." I mutter.

Orihime pouts. "You're acting just like Ichigo! He always acts all mopey and says he's fine, but there's always something wrong!!"

I feel bad lying to her, but I assume her life would be threatened if his dirty little secret is spilled. We walk in an uncomfortable silence to the apartment and we try to clean my apartment some more. We dust for hours, but we've barely scratched the surface. The room isn't grey anymore, but still a dull, dust-affected tone. We retire to her apartment and I sink into the couch. A music show appears, but it is all just pop songs. I switch the channel to a documentary about samurais. I stare at the katanas, remembering Rukia's weapon. It scares me. I thought Rukia was a sweet girl, but she resembled an assassin when she was running around with a deadly blade in her small pale hands.

Orihime makes burgers. She tells me everyone thinks she's a terrible cook. Out of sympathy, and the fact that it's true, I say, "Well you can definitely cook meat! You can please an Aussies taste. Maybe the Japanese are fussier or something."

She smiles and thanks me, as if was a present. She then goes to her bedroom. I forget about her and start wondering what Ichigo is. I try and make myself calm by thinking silly things such as: 'He learns martial arts, martial arts involves swords.' It fails. He would not threaten me if it was a simple thing like that. Other conclusions are that he is an assassin and that the little ornament is like a pager. There is also the possibility that he is a serial killer with a strange fascination with samurai. All of it seems stupid to me. Considering the unnatural sensation from the ornament, it must be something supernatural...even if I always thought it was impossible.

I begin to suspect he is an exorcist, but I grow tired of the guessing game. I will find out instead. He said he would tell me, I just have to wait.

Orihime walks out with wet hair plastered to her face. She must have had a quick shower. She is wearing a purple towel around her privates, but I have a strong imagination. She gazes at me with a concerned look in her eyes. "Are you sure nothing's bothering you?"

"Sure. I'm just tired. I might go for a walk, clear my head." I get to my feet and make for the door.

"Wait!" I turn to face the worried girl standing there wrapped in a small towel. "Be careful." She whispers. I nod and walk out of the apartment. The air outside is crisp and cold. I get a tingle as a cold breeze brushes over me. I'm still in my uniform, but it's dark now. I brought my Ipod with me. I lose myself into the heavy, extreme music that blasts away at my ears. I nod slightly as I stroll down the street. Everything seems to cast a strange shadow. Trees look like monsters, ready to pounce. Cars look like large dogs, lying on the ground. I ignore them and turn around a corner.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!" It comes from somewhere up ahead. Curiosity overpowers fear and I run, following the direction of the sound. I stop at the end of the block and look around nervously. The scream comes again, to my left. I stare at the park. A column of trees leads into a patch of forest. I follow it and the sound becomes louder and clearer...but it's moved again. I deduce that someone is being chased. I follow the new direction and come to an empty, wide street. There is a brick wall, stained in something. I step closer and then come to a complete stop. It's blood!

It's all over the wall. I stare at it with wide eyes. I feel compelled to run, but something makes me keep going. I walk around the wall and find something like a basketball court. There is a wire fence which has been torn apart by something huge. There is more blood on the ground. I gulp in air and follow the trail to a patch of darkness in the corner of the first wall and one from a building beside it. I approach the darkness, realising I am unarmed and definitely not able to defend myself from something that could cause all this.

I hear something now, something that makes my blood run cold and my bones quake. It's the loudest roar I have ever heard, and I've been to death metal concerts. It sounds like a really angry lion on steroids. I freeze. My body won't move, but something makes it. It feels like a truck has just run into me. I'm suddenly flying, but that stops when I slam into a wall. My arm drives into the bricks and instantly goes numb. I think it may be broken, but I'm no doctor. The shadows move and the creepy sensation I keep getting takes hold. I sense something in the darkness. It is no human, it can't be...

"!!!"

The shadows take form. It's gigantic, whatever it is. Huge arms spread out and I make out the shape of claws the size of cricket bats. What is this thing?! It steps into the weak light and I see a monstrous face. It looks like a ceramic mask that is pure white. Glowing yellow eyes glare at me with contempt and hunger. Its body is a dirty brown colour and has no real decoration. The beast opens it's jaws wide enough to swallow a dining table and it roars again. The sound deafens me and spittle flecks my face. One of it's legs moves in a blur of movement and for a second, everything has gone black. When my vision returns, I am in the middle of a pile of bricks. My whole body aches and I taste blood in my mouth. I can barely keep my eyes open, but I see something. It's only a silhouette, but it's of a person with spiky hair and a weapon the same size as himself. The blade sinks into the creature's stomach and comes out the other side. He wrenches the blade out and the monster falls into two pieces.

The beast writhes about in agony, screaming. My rescuer stomps on it's head and then buries his huge sword into it's face. The monster shatters and disintegrates.

I try to talk, but the only thing to escape my lips is a mouthful of blood. The hero steps into the light and I don't believe my eyes. It's Ichigo Kurosaki!

"Alex?" He asks stunned. He slings the sword onto his back and helps me up. I lean against him and cough up mortar and blood.

"You...want to explain...this...to me?" I ask between ragged, painful breaths. I don't remember the rest, I passed out.

*****

My eyes hurt, but so does everything else. I open them dazedly and see a bunch of familiar faces. One of them is Orihime.

"Oh my god, you're okay!" She hugs me too tight and I feel my ribs get shot with pain. "I thought you were dead!"

"I feel like it." I mutter with a raspy edge to my voice.

"I found him in the street. A hollow had attacked him." Ichigo explains to the others.

"Hollow?" I ask wearily. My eyelids flutter.

Ichigo sighs. "I knew an explanation was in order, so I brought her along." He points with his thumb to Rukia, who waves a sketch book at me. I raise an eyebrow at her. I don't see the point in a sketch book for this conversation.

"Alex, do you know what happens when people die?" Ichigo asks thoughtfully.

"No...No-one does."

"I do. When you die, your soul is released. It is called a konpaku." I nod. "That konpaku stays around to wander the world until one of a few things happen. If he has regrets or attachments to this world, he will be literally attached, unable to leave the place of his regrets, or the person."

I don't fully understand, but let him continue.

"He may also be eaten by a hollow. That's the monster that attacked you tonight. They are lost souls. They become tainted and evil, only wanting to kill and eat. They prey on the living and the dead, they do not discriminate. Only those with strong spiritual powers can see them."

"I saw it!" I yell, opening a wound on my stomach.

"Yes. You also saw me in my shinigami form. That is why I was acting strange. No normal human should see those things."

I remember the term 'shinigami' from an anime called 'Death Note'. "What?! You're a god of death?!"

Ichigo nods. "So is Rukia." She grins sheepishly. "It is our job to send konpaku to the afterlife, or Soul Society, before they become hollows, or hollow food. We also have to slay those foul beasts to protect both the living and the dead!" I feel dizzy. This is so much information to process. I never believed in an afterlife, I'm an Atheist. I'm still reeling from the terror of the hollow attack.

"I can explain it simpler if you want?"

I nod desperately. Ichigo groans and turns to Rukia. "Show him."

She opens the book and shows me a childishly drawn picture of a fat little cartoon rabbit coming out of one which is dead. She then flips the page. It is split into two pictures. One is of a rabbit with a long chain connecting it to a house; the other is of one with evil eyes and sharp fangs. Hollow is written in blue bubble writing beneath it. I almost laugh at the difference between the real thing and its cute counterpart.

"I know, the drawings suck, don't they?" Ichigo said, smiling. A shoe is thrown at his head, but he dodges it.

Rukia continues to flip through, showing simplistic diagrams of what has been said. When she's finished she holds up a card reading: 'The End'. I nod as I understand things a little more. I look over to Orihime who looks completely unfazed, as if she always knew. "Did you know about this?" I ask the calm chestnut haired girl. She laughs and scratches the back of her head.

"Yeah." She giggles.

"Are you one of them?!" I ask more hysterically than I wanted. She shakes her head and smiles.

"Calm down Alex." Ichigo says.

"I was nearly killed back there and everyone's in on some weird...thing! What else has been hidden from me?!"

"This." Orihime taps a hair clip she is wearing and a glowing light shoots out and comes near me. I flinch, but feel no pain, in fact I'm feeling better. An orange haze has crossed my vision. Some sort of shield is forming around me. My wounds are healing! Actually healing!!

"What the...? What are you doing?!" I run a hand over the clean patch of flesh which used to be lacerated and bruised.

"I can heal people!" Orihime beams.

I think I'm dreaming. This can't be real! Invisible monster slayers, healers...it must be a hallucination from being thrown through a wall! My trail of thought stops when everyone starts making terrified expressions. I am about to ask them what's wrong, but then I feel it too.

I feel a crushing pressure from nowhere. I feel like I'm being ripped apart by invisible little blades.

"What is this?!" I scream.

No-one answers. Ichigo and Rukia are sharing that same uneasy glance they had at school.

"Alex, wait here." I should be taking his advice, but I stagger to my feet.

"I want to know what this is! Anyway, if I have 'strong spiritual powers' maybe I can help." I know it's a stupid thing to say, but my curiosity has been piqued.

"What could you possibly do? You're barely able to stand!" Ichigo points to my quivering knees.

"I can watch." I say. "I'll stay at a safe distance and see what you get up to."

"No way! A simple hollow nearly ground you to dust! This will definitely kill you!" Oh, now I have to see it...but I have an idea. I make a sad face and sit back down, submitting.

"Alright, just come back and tell me about it, ok?"

"Fine, now don't move!" Ichigo runs out, followed by Rukia and then Orihime. I wait for thirty seconds and walk to the window. I see Orihime darting through the streets. The others used their disappearing trick. When she's a fair distance away, I follow...

Running hurts my legs so I limp swiftly in the darker spots of the street. I can no longer see Orihime, but I can feel that unnatural force. I follow it instead. I only have to limp for another minute and then I'm there. It's that children's park that led me to the hollow a while ago, only this time it's at the park. It's dark, but I can see something floating in the sky, a red aura around it. The overwhelming pressure forces me to my knees. I hide behind a damaged picket fence, peering through a four centimetre gap between two bent palings.

I can see Ichigo; a blue aura is enveloping him. Rukia is standing beside him, tensing, but not getting ready to fight. Orihime is standing behind them, a fierce glare in her eyes. I think my hiding place is working...they have not seen me...

No, someone did!" A large red blast is coming straight at me! I can't run, the pressure in the air is keeping me down. I stare in paralysed horror as the surge of energy gets closer and closer. I thought things were only just beginning, but I'm at the end. I close my eyes and wait ten seconds, nothing seems to have happened. I look up and another orange shield is around me. Orihime is looking right at me, as the fence has been incinerated. I stare at her with a sorry expression. I realise now that they were dead serious about this creature...which is behind her now!

"Orihime!!" Ichigo roars and lunges at the assailant, but he does not get there in time.

Time stops...my heart does too. Orihime's neck explodes in a spray of bright red fluid. Her eyes are wide and her face reveals confusion. She falls to her knees, but it takes a while for her body to topple over. This is my fault! I killed her!!

Ichigo charges into the killer and knocks them into a tree trunk which falls apart under the impact. As Ichigo fights, Rukia heals Orihime's wound. Her hands glow a green colour as she holds it over her slit throat. She momentarily faces me and I see strong fear in her gentle blue eyes. I feel something on my shoulder and look down at a large spider. I yelp and swat it away, jumping out of the garden. Wait! I can move again! Now that the enemy is distracted, the pressure has settled. I run over to Rukia's side, even as she commands me to leave. I kneel beside her and stare horrified at the large gash which is closing at a much slower rate than Orihime could manage.

"I can't heal as fast as her; I was never trained much at it."

"Will she live?!" I ask eyes wide.

"She will live. I can block the blood flow and heal it to a minor wound, but that would be about it." She sighs and closes her eyes for a moment. "Why did you come here?"

"C-curiosity killed t-the cat." I stutter. I tried to lighten the mood, but I've never been more scared in my life.

"Get back here you stupid bitch!!" It's Ichigo, roaring like an insane animal. The monster appears beside me all of a sudden and I stare up at...her? I almost faint...the killer...it's...it's...it's the Goth girl from the plane!!

"How you enjoying you're holiday?" She smirks as she boots me in the ribs. I think a few of them break. She laughs wickedly and drives something into the ground next to my face. It's a cutlass. There is still blood on the blade. I feel sick. Rukia jabs her sword at the Goth girl's throat, but she dodges it and slaps her with the back of her hand. Rukia staggers back and blocks the slash intended to cut her in half. I get on my hands and knees and reach out with one hand to grab the girl's leg. I pull with all my strength, but I only make her take a step back. She laughs and grabs me by the hair, lifting me up.

"Leave him out of this!!" Ichigo roars as gets closer. He looks dazed and blood is running down his forehead.

I feel death coming near. I just hope I go the Soul Society and not become a hollow, but if I did, my first meal would be this evil girl!! She squeezes and I cry out in pain. My brain feels like it's about to explode. I howl in utter agony as I am lifted off of my feet.

"Fight me you bitch!" Ichigo swings his sword in wide circles in an intimidating display, but it seems the girl is not fazed.

"I already fought you. You're not much!"

Ichigo spits on the ground. "I wasn't trying! I have another ace up my sleeve." He smiles confidently.

She giggles like the girl I originally assumed she was and raises the cutlass to my throat. "You're ace won't mean anything if I take this kids head right now, will it?" The blade hovers closer to my throat and I flinch.

Ichigo is looking extremely nervous now. His bravado has disappeared in a matter of seconds.

"Sode no mai..." Someone is whispering softly behind us. I'd try and turn my head, but any movement could spell my death, so I remain still and listen to the quiet words.

"Tsukishiro." Rukia steps into view, her sword drawn. A long stretch of white ribbon flutters about in the air behind her. The ground beneath me is shining with a white light. If Rukia did a spell she must intend on sacrificing me to save everyone else. I want to scream, but I suddenly feel terribly cold. I try to move a hand, but it's frozen...literally. Ice has consumed my lower body and is now up to my shoulders. The Goth is equally surprised.

"They told me about the shinigami's little tricks. They weren't wrong!"

"Who told you?" Rukia asks, pointing the tip of her blade at her foe.

She should be killing this girl. Information is worthless if she gets away. She could lie to us anyway. "Kill her!! Save me!!" I cry.

The Goth girl glares at me and the intense feeling returns. She is so close to me, it's even stronger now. I feel liquid pouring out of my ears nose and mouth and look down at the red droplets with dread. I'm bleeding out of my sensory organs!! She laughs hysterically and the sound is deafening. I can't last much longer; my body is broken beyond repair.

"You can beat me, but you will not win the war!"

"War?" Ichigo asks, stepping up beside his fellow shinigami.

"You will find out soon enough, say...did you think I was alone this whole time?" He mouth twists upwards into a wider grin.

I see something materialize in a tree branch. It's a man with long flowing black hair and holding a small pole with a halberd head at one end. He drops silently. I want to scream, but the ice has frozen my lower jaw. I can no longer speak and breathing is difficult. The others don't notice until it's too late.

Rukia stares at the blade which is now stuck in her side. Her arms droop by her side and she trips over. Ichigo roars something in Japanese and then charges at the new attacker. The man opens his palm and the blade flies towards him. He catches it and strikes at Ichigo, who thankfully blocks the attack.

Ichigo knocks his foe back and lays his blade flat in front of him. The ground breaks beneath him and the aura surrounds shim again, only now it's black. "Ban-kai!!" He roars and the lapping black energy explodes outwards. Dust blows into my eyes and I can't wipe it away, all I can do is blink rapidly as tears roll down my frozen cheeks.

The explosions melts away some of the ice and I hear it cracking behind me. The girl escapes from the frozen prison and leaves me, saving me till last. The ice around my mouth melts and I tell Ichigo to watch out. The dust is cut apart and something darts out so fast that I can't see it properly. The Goth girl is cut by something and flies backwards, landing near me. She gets back up, leaning against me as she holds her wounded arm.

The other attacker, the man, has leapt into the air and is trying to see over the dust and smoke.

"Getsuga Tensho!!" It's Ichigo's voice. The man in the air tenses and I soon realise why, a huge blast is heading straight for him. He drives his halberd into the epicentre and the whole weapon glows. The blast is absorbed! He chuckles and swings his weapon back at his opponent, releasing the same blast back, but now twice the size.

The explosion is huge. I close my eyes before the dust cloud sweeps over. The shockwave snaps my head backwards, but does not destroy the ice. The Goth girl seems to have retreated, a small advantage. We only have to face this guy!

There's no counter-attack, Ichigo must have been hit. We're doomed. None of us can fight anymore. We'll be slain one by one leisurely by this monster. The smoke clears. I can't see Ichigo, but a crater the size of an Olympic swimming pool is now there. A hand comes out, covered in blood and dirt. Then another, then a spiky array of orange hair. Ichigo survived, but he's to weak to even stand. He crawls out and coughs, nothing else. The man in the sky laughs as he glares down on us.

"Beth was inexperienced! I am far stronger! All shall kneel before us! But first, I must take your lives..."

Something claws at my leg. I look down at Rukia. Tears have made trails on her dusty face and a small drop of blood is sliding down her chin.

"Rukia..." I whisper, not wanting to alert our enemy.

"Alex...We can't fight him...he's too strong, but we need to escape. We need someone to ward him off at the very least. Only you can do it..." She coughs and blood goes all over her uniform. "You must...become a shinigami!"

My eyes widen. This is crazy. Even with a sword, I'd do little against that man. He took down Ichigo effortlessly, and he's supposed to be the strongest! I want to decline, but then I see the pain in her eyes, I then look over to Orihime, lying near death in the field, the grass around her stained scarlet. I caused all this, only I can make things right. "Will it work?"

"I made Ichigo a shinigami, it should work for you...But if it fails, you will die."

"Chances are I'll die one way or the other tonight...let's do it!" I watch her struggle to her knees. She places her sword over my heart. I have never been stabbed before, it must hurt terribly. I instantly want to change my mind, but there is no other way.

"If this doesn't work...I'll visit you in Soul Society." Rukia smiles bravely. I wish I could, but my teeth are gritted together so hard they won't stop.

The blade sinks in with a wet 'schluck'. My head rolls forward...and everything goes black...

Am I dead? Did Rukia's plan work?! Who are these powerful new villains? All in the next chapter!!

Please review.


	4. The Sun Shines Black

**4.**

Am I dead? Am I still alive? I can't tell, all I see is black. Something is pressing into my face though...it feels like soft material...I manage to move my arm enough to poke the object on top of me, it feels like flesh. I poke again. My lack of sight makes it impossible to really tell.

"Alex...I'm...I'm sorry..." I hear a light whisper in my ear. Whatever is on top of me moves and weak moonlight spills into my field of vision. Rukia is lying on top of me, her expression one of agony. "It...It...Didn't...work..."

I want to say 'What?!' but my throat is bubbling with what I assume is my own blood. I somehow utter a tiny croak which sounds a bit like, "Why?"

As if on cue, I hear our opponents sickening laughter, much closer than ever before. He's right in front of us. "I stopped her from transferring her powers by knocking her out just after she stabbed you. That way, I don't have to waste my time on you; she's practically killed you for me! Ha ha ha!"

I hear Rukia sobbing. I place a hand on her shoulder. "It's...not your fault..." I whisper. Blood drips out of my mouth and I can no longer breathe. I'm drowning in my own life fluid. I never expected to die so horribly, I thought I'd get hit by a car, or have a heart-attack. Something quick and painless...not like this.

"Stop!" It's an unfamiliar voice, probably another one of these evil warriors, wanting to finish us off. My theory must be wrong, as the man with long black hair suddenly looks shocked.

"Who are you?" He asks angrily.

"An enemy." The new visitor says confidently. I can't really see, but sparks are flying from something.

My eyes are so clouded with tears I cannot see anything anymore. I raise a hand to wipe them, but the pain in my arms in unbearable. I lower it and lay here, crying pathetically. My new friends are all dead or dying, I'm not sure which...My holiday is about to end in the worst possible way, with my death. With my last shred of energy, I place an arm over Rukia and hug her. Dying in someone's arms would at least be a little better than dying alone, even if I only just met this person. "I..." I croak. Every word forces more blood out from my lips. "I...wish...it could last...a bit...longer..." I cough and blood sprays up into the air. I curse physics as it rains back down, into my eyes.

My eyes shut, but they won't open again. I can't hear, can't smell. I can only taste the foul taste of blood and feel the excruciating pain all over my body. Even my toes are aching. The last thing I feel before the world disappears from me, is Rukia gripping my hand tightly.

*****

I hear whispering voices. They sound concerned, but I cannot make out any words, they just sound like random noises. I can no longer feel Rukia's touch...Maybe that evil man has dragged her off somewhere and butchered her. I want to cry, but my body won't respond.

"Is he alive?" I hear it clearly, it's not possible! How could I have survived?!

"Well, his soul hasn't come out at all, so he mustn't be dead." It's that voice I heard at the park. The mysterious stranger who I never saw, but claimed to be an ally.

"How about the others?" The other person asks. I don't recognise this one from anywhere.

"Ichigo is fine. He had some nasty burns, but they healed fast. Orihime...she's stable. She will probably be bedridden for some time, until the wounds closes over more. As for Rukia...well, I'm not so sure."

I'd gasp if I could.

"I found her unconscious lying over him. She had a deep gash in her back; it's punctured a few organs. It looked to me like she took a hit to protect this kid..."

A guilt stronger than I've ever felt hit's me like a tonne of bricks. She is going to die...because she saved me! I'm nothing special1 I should be in her place! I'd rather she wakes up than me...

"Should we wake him up?" The unfamiliar voice asks.

"It couldn't do any harm. I've done all I can for now, he just needs to relax. We can't pressure him too much, ok?" Since there is no reply, I assume the other person must have nodded. I feel hands grabbing me and dragging me into a sitting position. My eyelids are pulled open by someone else, not me. I dazedly stare at the face in front of me. It's a man with light blonde hair which falls about his face, concealing most of it. He is wearing a green and white hat. The shadows cast by the brim conceal his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

My mouth openes but no words come out. A woman with dark skin and long purple hair approaches with a cup of water. She tilts my head back and tips the water down my throat. It is icy cold, but it softens my throat enough for me to talk. "Where's Rukia?"

"She's resting now. Can you tell me your name?" The man asks.

"Alex...McMullen."

"So...you definitely aren't from around here?" I shake my head at the man who chuckles quietly. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kisuke Urahara. I saved you all last night."

"Who were they?" I ask. The woman sits down nearby and sighs.

"At this point, we have no idea. We've contacted Soul Society and they haven't been able to track their movements. Their reiatsu is different to anything we've currently faced."

"Reiatsu?" I ask.

"Oh...Did you feel a strange pressure around you enemies?" I nod. "That is reiatsu, in your language, spiritual pressure."

I look around the room. The walls are papery, they look extremely thin, like something you'd find in a samurai movie. The floor is wooden, but a lime green mat has been placed under us. I'm wrapped in blankets, with layers of bandage wrapped around me underneath. I feel around my face and notice my glasses are not there. But I can see perfectly fine!

"Ah, you noticed. I've learned how to correct sight problems! A shinigami always need's to have alert sight!"

"I'm not a shinigami..." I mutter.

"I saw Rukia's sword pierce your heart. She tried, but that strange man attacked her instantly afterwards. She was unable to transfer her powers. I healed most of the damage to your heart, but it's still in a bad state. I'll treat it further a bit later. Right now you need rest."

"I want to see the others!" I demand. My throat is sore so I raise the empty glass of water. The woman takes it and returns shortly after with it full of water. I pour it down my throat, some of it spilling around my face. I wipe my mouth and nod in thanks, then I stand.

"Alex, you should be resting."

"I just want to see them, please?" Urahara sighs and leads me to another room. It's dark, but I see Orihime lying on a mattress on the floor. Her throat is bandaged and she looks peaceful in her slumber. Urahara then leads me to another room. Rukia is there. A large man with a thick moustache and glasses is working on her. His hands are glowing, jut like Rukia's did when she was healing.

"How is she?" I ask, my voice cracking.

The huge man sighs. "I'm hoping for the best...but her wounds are very deep. If we had Orihime, we could do this faster, but she too is unconscious. My only fear is that she loses too much blood before we heal her fully." I suddenly realise that the mat around her is not supposed to be red...

I cover my mouth with a hand and fall to my knees.

"Come on, tessai need to concentrate." Urahara talks to me as if I'm a child. I follow him to the next room. Ichigo is rubbing his bandaged shoulder with a scowl on his face. He looks up at me and glares hatefully.

"Alex you moron!! Why did you follow us?!"

"I-"

"We told you to stay behind!! You almost got yourself killed…You almost got us killed too!"

"I'm sorry..." I can't even look at him. I feel so bad about what I did.

"I guess I can't get too mad at you...I'm a bit headstrong too." Ichigo mutters.

"How are the burns?" Urahara asks, changing the topic.

Ichigo rolls his shoulders and grins. "Pretty good. Just lucky that I summoned my mask before I was hit, otherwise I'd have been a goner!"

Urahara nods approvingly. "You fought well. But they were definitely strong! It was no-ones fault that you were wounded." He smiles at me. It feels like he's lying, just to get him less angry at me, but then I notice something in his eyes. Urahara is serious! I sense he's strong, so if he says they were tough...they were really tough!

"We've prepared a meal for you two. Food will help you heal." I nod and follow him to a low-lying dining table. We all sit cross-legged on cushions and watch small bowls be placed on the dark timber table. Cups of tea are set down, and then bowls of rice with different meats mixed in. I eat ravenously, swallowing the rice whole. The others watch me eat before they start.

"You must have been hungry..." The purple haired woman mutters.

I set the bowl down and sigh. I then start to gulp down the tea. Despite being scalding hot, I down half of it in one long, sustained sip.

"I think he's beaten your record Yoruichi." Urahara says to the purple haired woman. Yoruichi's jaw drops when I drop the cup, now empty after only forty seconds.

"I'm glad you're hungry." Ichigo growls. "If Rukia never wakes up, you can eat her meal too!!" He gets up and stomps out of the room. I begin to feel sick, but it's not because of the meal. I fall to the floor and weep.

*****

The hours pass by. I have sat alone, staring at the walls ever since dinner. The others have all gone to do their separate tasks. Yoruichi has returned to Soul Society to try and get some info on the attackers, Urahara is trying to talk to Ichigo. Night falls faster than I expected. I walk to the window and gaze at the black sky, but realise the sun is still high in the sky. I stare at it and notice white specks coming out of the night sky. It soon dawns on me what they are...Hollows!! There are hundreds of them!!

Urahara sprints into the room with Ichigo. The giant man, Tessai is also there, as well as two children.

"Alex, stay here!! Make sure nothing happens to Orihime or Rukia, ok?" Urahara's gaze bores straight into me. He hands me a sword and I stare at it wide eyed. "It's no a shinigami's sword, but it's been specially made to kill hollows. If anything tries to get in, I'm counting on you to stop them!"

I gulp and nod. Urahara orders his little army to depart. Before he leaves, he turns back to me and frowns. "Hit them in the head...it's the only way to kill them!" I wait until they are gone, then I lock the door and run into Rukia's room. Orihime is there now, Urahara must have moved her to make it easier for me to watch them. I look around nervously and then huddle up between them as I shiver uncontrollably, clutching the sword tight.

I can hear the monstrous roars. I can hear screams of rage and pain. I hear things exploding and breaking, but I do not move...I'm frozen in place.

'Creak'

'Boom'

The outer walls are being rammed by something. I don't need to see it to know it's a hollow. I ear the front door fall in. I lean over kiss both girls on their cold cheeks. "If I don't make it back, I'm sorry for the mess I caused." I slowly draw the katana from its scabbard and study the blade. A genuine sword is much different from the ornamental one's I have at home. I take a deep breath as a large shadow comes into view. I walk slowly, stiffly, towards it. Sweats pouring down my face, but the adrenaline keeps me moving.

I see it. I remember Urahara's advice and notice its huge head. It's struggling to get inside, because of its size. It looks like a gigantic lizard with crocodile jaws. I scream, but charge at it with the sword raised high. I carve through it's mask and blood so dark that it looks like oil gushes out. The monster then disintegrates. A smaller hollow bolts in immediately after. It stands on two feet and has a long spiked tail which tears through the walls as it flicks around. It lunges at me and I hold the blade out defensively. It knocks me to the floor and jabs it's tail at me. I roll away and crawl under a table. It laughs in a deep voice and stomps on the table. It breaks easily. I dive out and huddle into a ball.

Two more hollows have gotten in now. I scream and run to the next room, slamming the paper thin door behind me. I wait until one of them barrels through the wall, then I drive the blade into it's neck. It roars in pain and I force the blade down further until the hollow is decapitated. It breaks up into tiny pieces which disappear. I wait for another to fall for the same trick, but a large fist slams through the wall and into my hip. I fall to the side and crawl backwards as it comes in. It looks like a person, only bigger and with a dog-like face. I hurl the blade at it, but the hollow catches it in mid air and snaps it into pieces.

I pee myself.

The hollow sniffs the air and laughs boisterously. I back up against the wall with wide eyes. The hollow is joined by another soon after.

"We found the others! They're in another room down the hall. I glare at them and dart past them. I slide under the legs of the second hollow that looks like a centaur with a skeletal face. I quickly get back on my feet and run to the room where Rukia and Orihime have been found. A hollow is lifting Orihime up, smelling her with his large, pointed nose. I find a fire-place poker and drive it into the hollows leg. He roars and slams Orihime into the floor, which shatters under the impact. The beast kicks me and I fall into the wall. My head goes through and I can see the kitchen. A rack of knives is on the far wall. I get back on my feet and do a quick run-up before shoulder charging the fragile wall. I fall straight through and land beneath the counter. I take the whole rack and go back through the hole.

The large-nosed beast growl at me and opens his fanged mouth fully. I hurl a butcher knife at it's eye, but I am uncoordinated so it hit's it in the cheek. The blade sinks in, but not enough to kill it. I pick up a carving knife and climb up it's leg to get a shot at it's face. I slam the blade into the underside of it's mouth, coming up through it's mouth. I then jump back, dragging the blade through his lower jaw. His dark blood sprays out and he trips on his own large feet. When he's on the ground, I stab him repeatedly with another knife.

By then, the centaur-hollow is standing in the doorway, red eyes glowing with fury. I hurl the last two knives at him, but he dodges one and blocks the other with his arm.

I dive into the corner of the room and find an axe. The centaur kicks at me, but I duck, swinging the axe at his back legs. The blade severs both legs at the knee and he topples over. He thrashes about and I stomp on one arm, putting all of my weight on it until it snaps. I then hack at his face. When he turns to dust, I check on Rukia and Orihime. I hear footsteps outside and look for an escape route.

The hole in the floor! I gently carry the two girls down and then climb back up to get the axe. I pick up the weapon and see a small hollow that looks like a large cat. I kick it onto it's back and raise the axe high. Just as I'm about to drop the blade into it's masked face, the humanoid hollow punches me in the stomach, below the ribs. He winds me and forces me to cough up blood. I fall just next to the hole. The hollow laughs wickedly and shows me a broken part of the sword. He throws it like a dart and it hits my arm, pinning me to the floor. I wail miserably and try to pry the blade out of my flesh. The humanoid hollow steps back and roars. Dozens of hollows charge into the room and crowd around me. I am now surrounded.

"They're inside!! Quick!!" Urahara roars. I hear a multitude of explosions and the wall beside me falls apart as a rain of bullets mow down a group of the hollow. A red blast then follows, taking down more of the blood-thirsty beasts. Urahara steps into the gap he created and glares at the ten hollows still remaining. He ignores them and pries the blade out of my arm.

"Wait! There are still hollows in here! They'll kill us-"

The hollows scream as they are hacked apart by a giant sword. Ichigo climbs over the pile of corpses and gazes at me sympathetically. He sees the bladed weapons all around me, all stained in the dark blood of hollows and grins. "You put up one hell of a fight!"

"Tell me about it..." I mutter before the pain settles in on my arm. I look as calm as possible for several seconds until... "FUUUUUUUUCK!!!! OWWWWWWWWW!!!" I raise my arm and see my own bones inside the gaping hole. I throw up immediately.

Urahara retrieves the girls from under the house and then takes them to another room to rest.

Tessai does a spell on my arm and I can no longer feel the pain. I calm down a little and ask Urahara a question. "What happened? Why did all those hollow arrive?!"

"I don't know, but it seems that this place was their target...They must have known we were all here." He places a hand on his chin. "Whoever attacked you yesterday wanted to finish the job while you were weak. They sent the hollows rather than themselves though, which means they must have access to Hueco Mundo."

Yay. Another word I don't understand... Urahara looks at me and frowns. "Oh right. Hueco Mundo is a desolate world where all the hollows come from."

"So, these people are either residing in Hueco Mundo, or have a way to get there?" Ichigo suggests.

Urahara nods. "We need to be on guard...They may return...and very soon." He looks me up and down and sighs. "Alex, you've earned some rest. For a human, you did extremely well."

I walk across the bloodied and broken floor to where Rukia and Orihime are lying peacefully. There are no spare blankets, or mats, so I lie on a tiny portion of Rukia's, borrowing a tiny patch of her blanket. I fall asleep almost instantly...

The action is already heating up! A new menace has arrived and has the ability to command hollows! Karakura Town's defenders are weak! When will the war start? Will the shinigami be able to survive? Will I be able to survive?! 

Please review!! 


	5. Know Thy Enemy

**5.**

I wake up more exhausted than I was when I fell asleep. I roll over and gasp, expecting to bump into Rukia, but I don't. I look around and she is not in the room. I rub crust and flakes from my eyelids and rise sluggishly to my feet. It is early morning; the sun is high in the sky. I can see it through a large hole created when the hollows attacked. I walk past it and into the dining room. Everyone is assembled, all have miserable expressions. It looks like they are mourning.

Urahara notices me and looks up. He does not smile, his expression reads: 'I am sorry'.

I stand next to Ichigo, who is frozen like a statue. His eyes are so wide they could fall out at any second. He looks paler than usual.

"Alex, I don't know how to say this..." Urahara begins. I stare at him with black rimmed eyes. "We did all we could, but we can do no more..."

"What?" I ask calmly. I am clueless right now. I can barely even remember the names of the people in the room.

"Rukia. We've treated her as best we can, but it's up to her to survive now."

My expression does not change. I still stare blankly at Urahara. The others watch me carefully. "I don't understand..." I mutter.

"Only a certain amount of healing spells can be done. Once they are all used, we must let nature take its course. Either their immune system wins and they get up, or they..." He coughs uncomfortably. "They pass on."

I remain the same. I nod slowly and get to my feet. "How is she?"

"Bad." Tessai mumbles. "She has lost too much blood. I doubt she will last more than an hour."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Unfortunately my facade fails miserably. I slam my fist into the wall and it crumbles. "NO!"

Tessai attempts to stand and calm me, but Urahara waves a hand at him to remain still. They watch me as I'm on display at a zoo.

"She can't die!! She can't!!" I scream at them as if they are responsible, but truthfully, it was my actions that led her to her death. I pinch the bridge of my nose and struggle to keep calm. I roar like a hollow and hit the wall again. Waterfalls of tears flow from my eyes. I begin to sob like a child lost at a shopping mall.

The others share concerned glances and nod to each other. "Alex, do you want to see her?"

I nod and they all lift me to my unsteady feet. I need their help carrying me like a football player with a broken leg. We reach a small room with a large window at the top of the wall. It brings in too much sunlight for the mood of the room. Rukia is lying on a decorated bed with candles around it. I get out of their grasp and kneel beside her.

"Rukia..." I mutter as I stroke her cheek. It's colder than the ice that had enveloped me in the park. It almost stings. I take my hand away and just stare at her face. "Isn't there anything you can do?" I ask, not facing them.

"Well, Orihime could help, but she is still in a coma. Unfortunately this is all that could be done."

"You tried everything?"

"Yes, but it was not enough." Tessai replies.

"Could I be alone for a while?" I ask, my voice cracking.

"Sure, we need to get some supplies anyway. We'll be back in twenty minutes." Urahara leads them out and I soon hear an engines roar and the vehicle drives off. Tessai's words run through my mind over and over again.

_Orihime could help...Orihime could help...Orihime could help..._

My eyes widen. It's a stupid idea, but I'm more desperate than ever before. I dart out of the room and find Orihime. I stare angrily at her, even though it's wrong of me to do so. I lift her into a sitting position and repeat her name over and over. I lose patience quickly and slap her roughly.

"WAKE UP!! I need you!! WAKE UP DAMMIT!!" I hit her again. She makes a noise and I step back, terrified at what I've just done. She shuffles around and her eyes open slightly.

"My...face hurts..." She whispers. Rubbing her cheek which is now red and bruised. I'm feeling sick, but it is overcome by the desperate hope that now clings to me.

"Orihime! I need your healing powers!!"

"What?" She asks dazedly. She rubs her neck and touches the bloody bandage. "Agggh! What happened?!"

"I can tell you later! Just get on your feet and follow me!!" I sound angrier than I intended. She gets to her feet and looks around.

"Is this Urahara's shop?"

"Hurry up!!" I growl, grabbing her by the collar and shoving her out into the next room. I lead her to where Rukia is losing her battle with death. Orihime stares at her.

"What happened to her?"

"She's dying! I need you to save her! I know you can!" Orihime places her hands on Rukia's throat and feels for a pulse.

"But...she's...dead..."

"Just heal her- Wait, what?" I begin to tremble. Orihime is crying now. I join her. I fall back into the wall and slowly slide down until I'm sitting against it. "Check again!" I croak.

Orihime checks for her pulse in her neck, arm and heart. There is nothing. She frowns at me and tries to say sorry, but it comes out as a tiny squeak.

I feel something welling up inside me. I can't keep it down...

"!!"

*****

It's been twenty minutes now. Urahara should be returning. Orihime has watched me with a sad face the whole time.

"Can you do anything?" I ask between sobs.

"I don't know...I've never tried to do this on the dead before..."

"Please? I'm begging you!!" I even got on my knees. Most would consider it shameful, but I couldn't allow Rukia to die.

Orihime placed a hand on my head. "Calm down. I'll try my best, but I need to concentrate." I nod and sit away from her, watching as she sat down next to her and muttered something. They sounded like names, but I took little notice. The little flying objects formed an orange shield which covered Rukia's entire body. I covered my mouth with my hand when I saw the wounds become worse.

Orihime noted my distress. "My power does not heal...it rejects things. Before I can reject her wounds, I must reject the healing spells." She explains. I still feel uncomfortable.

"Alex, where are you?" It's Urahara's voice. They are back.

"Don't stop. I'll keep them out of your way until you're done." I gaze at the girl who could end up saving my friend. Her power is more valuable than I first thought. I leave and meet up with the blonde man, still wearing the same striped hat.

"I'm feeling better now. Being alone with my thoughts helped me calm down." I lie. The time alone made me panic more and dwell on everything. Urahara nods approvingly.

"That's good. There will be a proper time to mourn, but for now we must be alert. I hear Yoruichi's got news for us." I turn around and watch as Tessai and the two kids walk in, carrying boxes of different things, mostly food.

"Is Ichigo coping?" I ask. He seems to also have a strong bond with Rukia, much more than me, but they've known each other longer so it's perfectly understandable.

"He's doing well. The fear of being attacked has kept him on his toes." Urahara unpacks a box as he talks. He takes out a new katana and grins. "I always like having one around. If one breaks, I'll replace it as soon as possible."

I stare at him as he unpacks food and places them on shelves in the front room or 'store'. This is where he gets his income; the other rooms act more like a hotel for shinigami.

"How is Orihime?" He asks. The question throws me off guard and I stagger back and begin to stutter.

"Orihime? Um...well...she's...uh...fine."

"Did she wake up at all?"

"No." I answer quickly. I can sense Orihime still working.

"I know you're lying." Urahara mutters. I jump, startled and my eyes widen. "If you can sense her, then you should have guessed I can too. You should be able to trust me you know. I only do things for the best."

"I'm sorry." I apologise, my gaze cast to the floor.

"She shouldn't have been up yet; someone must have forcefully woken her..." Urahara says. I rub the back of my neck and cough.

"I...um...well..."

"Just tell me the truth. I won't judge you." Urahara says calmly.

"I woke her up." I say flatly.

"Why, you know she needed rest. It's not good for her to be up." Urahara is interrogating me.

"I wanted her to...keep Rukia alive..." I feel like a child who's knocked over a vase and has to explain himself.

"Was it a wise thing to do?" Urahara raises an eyebrow at me.

I stiffen. But stand my ground. "Yes." I say proudly.

"Are you sure? Forcing Orihime to work in her condition could harm her."

"Her pain would be for a worthy cause!" I almost shout it out.

Urahara tips his hat to me. "Those answers...they sound like those a shinigami would give..." I don't know whether it's a compliment or an insult, but I bow anyway. "I'm sure you'd make an excellent shinigami, Alex. Who knows, if this war is as serious as we anticipate, your efforts may very well be needed."

I almost trip over. "War?! I thought she was just lying!"

"I've faced enough opponents to know when someone's bluffing. She was as serious as can be!" Urahara reads my mind and answers my next question before I can ask. "I have fought beside the shinigami for decades, but I am no longer one of them."

"Decades? You don't look that old." I say.

"Shinigami age differently. A decade would equal one year for humans." Urahara explains.

"How old are you then?"

"I've lost count, but I'd say about 350." Urahara grins. "Bet you couldn't guess that huh?"

"No...So...how old is Rukia?"

"150 years old, but with the way shinigami age, she only looks around your age." Urahara throws the box away and begins unpacking another. "You haven't asked me why I am no longer a shinigami."

"I don't know enough about them to be that curious..." I mutter.

"True. Without knowing much, little details don't seem like much. I'll explain it all later." Urahara walks off. I watch him as he goes to Orihime. I can't hear him from this distance, I think he's whispering. I watch silently.

"Eavesdropping?" I yelp in surprise and turn around to see Ichigo walk through the front door. He looks past me at Orihime, and then slaps my shoulder. "Thanks. I never even thought of that."

I follow his gaze and realise he's talking about what I've done with Orihime. "No problem. It was all I could do to help."

"I'm sorry for getting pissed at you earlier." Ichigo sits down and takes a chocolate bar off of the shelves behind me.

"No worries. As long as we're allies again."

"We're friends now. You barely even know her and you tried your best to save her. I can't repay you enough." Ichigo swallows the chocolate bar whole and coughs. "Okay, that was dumb." We both laugh. I can feel the calm returning. It will be a welcome change from last night. All I can do is hope Orihime succeeds and that this war never happens.

I have doubts about both...

*****

At least I'm wrong with one of them. It's been three hours and Orihime has called us all in. We crowd around her and stare as Rukia's eyelids flutter.

"Rukia..." Me and Ichigo whisper in unison. The coincidence fails to distract us. She groans lightly and her eyes open halfway.

I am speechless. I want to cheer, but my throat clenches tight and all I do is smile. My knees quiver and I have to kneel down, otherwise I'd fall over. "It...Worked!" Orihime giggles, but she doesn't look happy. She's absolutely drained. Her eyes are slightly bloodshot and her shoulders are shaking slightly. "Thank you Orihime..." I mutter. My throat is still tightened, so I can only talk quietly. Fortunately, she hears me. A bit of colour floods her cheeks afterwards.

Rukia gazes dazedly at us all. "What...what happened?"

"It's a long story...We'll tell you later." Urahara leaves. So does the workers at the store. Orihime leaves as well. Ichigo and I sit on opposite sides of her.

"You don't have to visit me in Soul Society after all." I beam. It takes a while for her to understand, but she recalls our last conversation and laughs. It's music to my ears.

"I guess I don't...I'm sorry it failed, though."

"It doesn't matter. We lived to fight another day, that's the important thing." I look down at her wounds. They have not fully healed. "You...saved me...that night..."

"I...did?" Rukia asked, surprised.

"You mustn't remember...its ok!" I close my eyes. Even if she never intended to save me, I will always see it that way.

"Alex?" I open my eyes again, Rukia's sitting up now. Her gaze is boring into me. "I know what I did...I shielded you, hoping you could survive and become a shinigami. At least you survived."

I'm glad it's true. It means much more to me that way.

"Well, the others are waiting for us." Ichigo muttered. "There's much to discuss, we better hurry." We both take one of Rukia's arms and gently lift her, helping her walk out. After a few shaky steps she swats us away and walks herself.

As we sit down at the dining table, Yoruichi enters, her face shows no positive emotions.

"Any good news?" Urahara asks before sipping at some tea.

"We aren't under attack yet. That's all!" Yoruichi groans as she sits down opposite me. "We don't have much information on those attackers, but they are able to cross between Hueco Mundo and here easily, indicating they are in some way involved with hollows."

"Anything we don't know?" Ichigo asks. "We found that out when they sent a legion of hollows to wipe us out!" Yoruichi's eyes widen.

"You didn't know?" Urahara asks. "Surely they Soul Society picked up such a large crossing?!"

"Not at all..." Yoruichi mutters.

"So they can completely hide their reiatsu. That's why I never noticed on the plane!" I think I'm understanding this better, but everyone stares at me like I've said yellow is a food. "I was sitting next to that girl, Beth, on the plane ride here! I never felt that strange presence until she attacked us!"

"So she's from over-seas...interesting?" Urahara grasps his chin.

"Is there a foreign version of Soul Society?" I ask.

"No. But there were a number of mysterious disappearances among shinigami a few years ago."

"Really?" Yoruichi asks.

"There was an experiment being conducted somewhere out of Japan. They were testing whether a shinigami could convert a hollow to one of their own, by the transfer method used on mortals."

"What?!" Ichigo drops his cup of tea, but none of it spills.

"It was banned after three tests, but everyone involved mysteriously disappeared." Urahara closed his eyes and drank some more.

"Did the experiment work?" Rukia covers her mouth with a hand, fearing the answer.

"Yes. By thrusting the blade into the head of a hollow and transferring your powers before they disintegrate, a mix between the two is created."

"And...Those two people who attacked were those experiments?" I look around expecting an answer, but none is given.

"It's possible, but they could have been the shinigami. Rumour has it that all involved with the experiment were in a cult. Their similar appearance leads me to believe it's them. If so, we must be very careful."

"Why?"

"They were all captain class!" Everyone is shocked but me. I stare at them in confusion.

"Shinigami are ranked. The highest, most powerful of us are ranked as captains, or assistant captains. They are incredible fighters and to be avoided if you aren't their ally!"

Urahara's explanation makes me gasp. No wonder they beat the shit out of us! "How many were involved?" I ask, fearing the answer.

"Eight, I think. The information was mostly hidden. Only a few of the captains of that time were told." Urahara explains, brushing back hair from his face.

"How do you know then?" I query.

"I have many inside sources. Despite being on the run from them, I still get respect from a few allies up top." Urahara grins.

The conversation ends there. Not because we have run out of things to talk about...but because our enemy has returned. Their foul presence hits us hard, but we react quickly. Urahara runs to the door with Yoruichi. They turn back to us and frown.

"Stay here. Ichigo will protect you." He nods to the fiery haired boy and vanishes into thin air.

"Can you feel it?" Ichigo asks. His body has stiffened and his grip on his sword is so hard that his veins are popping out on his knuckles.

"It's stronger than before...are they close?" I look up at the sky. Ichigo makes a noise halfway between a cough and a laugh.

"I wish it were that...no it's far worse!" He turns to me and I notice a strong fear in his eyes. "There are more of them!!"

I'm about to ask how many, but then I see them...Five figures, hovering in the sky. They are too far away to distinguish, but I'm still terrified...two nearly put us in our graves. Two and a half times that will grind us into mince meat!

Is this a prelude to the great war? Can these invaders be stopped before too many lives are lost? Find out in the next chapter. 

Please review!! I know I sound like a broken record, but it helps more than you think! A short comment can motivate an author greatly, so please tell me what you think of the story so far. 


	6. Then Fight Him!

**6.**

The group splits up quickly. I blink and suddenly, one of them is right outside the door! He only looks around seventeen, but he must be nearly 200 years old. His hair is in large, floppy spikes which almost look like a jester's hat from a distance. His eyes are such a pale shade of blue they are almost grey. His skin is the colour of snow and he wields a strange weapon which looks like two swords with their handles joined in the middle. A blade sticks out on each side and when he twirls it, they look like a helicopter blade.

"So you can twirl a sword! What do you want, a medal?" Ichigo asks, smugly. He's overconfident, but it may help us.

"I want nothing more than to see your bodies decompose in the gutter where I killed you." Our opponent grins. His teeth are so white they are almost blinding. "The names Yuki. Wanna play?"

"Are one of the freaks behind that hollow experiment a while back?" Ichigo tilts his head.

"Yeah. It worked so well that your shinigami friends tried to shut the whole project down, but we just hid ourselves and continued the research. We are of the 'Nakazora no kokoro no guntai!"

Everyone seems to understand but me. Rukia notices and whispers into my ear. "He said Hollow hearts army." I nod and stare at him. He wears a black vest which he unzips, revealing a nasty looking tattoo of a human heart impaled on a katana. Sinister looking needles are protruding from the blade. The tattoo is coloured in black and red ink.

"That's pretty." Ichigo mutters. "But makeup and tattoos mean jack shit to me!" Ichigo lunges, his sword drawn. The boy smirks and makes a strange shape with his hand. The double sided sword splits apart and both blades float in the air. One soars down and blocks Ichigo's attack; the other pierces our protector's shoulder. Ichigo grunts and pulls the blade out. "Magic tricks aren't that impressive to me!"

"I don't care if they don't impress you. It's whether they carve you into tiny pieces or not that concerns me!" The boy disappears and reappears behind Ichigo. Before he can respond, Yuki knees him in the spine. Ichigo falls to the floor. As he turns back to us, Rukia charges. She swings her sword and knocks him outside. We all follow. In the street, I can see Urahara and Yoruichi going up against three opponents...but I thought there were five of them? Unless...

My whole body goes numb, starting from my stomach. I cry out when I see the crescent shaped blade protruding from my torso. My eyes widen and I feel sick. I float off of the ground. I'm flying! My strange idea is wrong; I'm only being lifted as the weapon is raised. I have been impaled! I am a bloodied flag, stuck on the most painful flag pole to exist. I can't look down, only up at the sky. It's bright and sunny, the glare blinds me. My limbs have flopped down limply by my sides. I can hear terrified gasps and hysterical laughter. The laughter is sickening, it sounds almost like an insane clown.

"Piero! Just kill him!" Yuki speaks like an angry father to a child. Piero must be the man who attacked me.

"Let me have some fun! You can fight seriously if you want!" His voice sounds like a raspy hiss. He chuckles for a few seconds after every sentence, as if he's struggling to tell a joke with a straight face.

"Oh fine! Just don't come crawling back to me when they hurt you!"

Piero laughs sadistically and waves me around like a flag at a footy match. "Him? I hurt me?! Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! What a joke!!"

"Alex!" Orihime is talking to me, but I can't see her.

"Aw, the little girlie likes ya kid!" Piero rasps.

"Please...don't hurt her..." I mutter. I doubt he heard me.

"What's that? Don't hurt her? Of course I won't, not physically! I'm gonna kill her emotionally!" My eyes widen. "If she likes you, then the sight of you in pain will..." He giggles in his disgusting way again. "...Devastate her!" He mutters something and his weapon sinks, letting me down. The blade is still stuck in me, but I am low enough to see the fear in Orihime's eyes and for her to se the pain in mine.

She whimpers as tears floor her cheeks.

"Say something for the lady!"

"F-F-Fuck you!" I spit blood in his face. He looks like a clown, only emaciated and with black hair. Rainbow streaks jut out in small patches. Dark rings of eye liner surround his deep set eyes which are beady and red. His mouth is large and lined in black lipstick. His skin is milky white and his uniform is a grey suit, with spiked shin pads. A black armband with the strange symbol of a heart impaled on a sword is on his left arm.

"Think you're tough hey kid?"

"Tougher...than a...stupid clown!" I growl, blood oozing out between my teeth. Piero grunts and leaps into the air. On his way down, he kicks me with his spiked shin. I scream in agony as the inch-long spikes sink in fully.

"NO! STOP!!" Orihime cries.

"Shut up, bitch!" Piero slaps her with the back of his hand and she falls into the doorframe.

"Seriously...you're confident for a weak human! You've got no chance against me! You aren't even a shinigami!" I was looking straight at Piero for a while, but then my gaze focuses on something in the sky. I squint through the glare and recognise Ichigo. His sword has changed shape, no longer a man sized meat cleaver, but a shiny black katana. Piero steps back as Ichigo lands. His blade sinks into the centre of my heart and the world goes black...again...

*****

_~Alex...can you...me~_

"_What?" I ask the darkness around me. There is nothing here except for me, and the deep voice which keeps fading mid-way through sentence._

_~Listen...My name...~_

"_I can't hear you!!"_

_~Listen...Listen...LISTEN!!!~_

_A white light bursts out of nowhere and suddenly I'm in the middle of a forest. I hear a footstep behind me. I whirl around and nearly faint. It's a dragon! It's not an ordinary dragon though. It's skin is scaly and a dark grey colour. His wings are tattered and torn. His eyes are yellow, with no pupils and his teeth are black. He stands on two feet like a person. And he has hands. He is staring at me._

"_Was it you? Were you talking?!" I step back, slightly afraid._

_~Do not fear me. We are one and the same, Alex.~ His mouth does not move, but he is talking...it must be telepathy._

"_One and the same?"_

_~Good, you can hear me now.~_

"_Yes" I stare in awe at him. I've always had a keen interest in dragons, but I never expected to see one, and for it to look like this! He doesn't even have the large horns on his head! _

_~Does my appearance shock you?~_

"_Sort of...You are a strange looking dragon..." I study his body. It's almost human, except for the scaly skin and large claws, or the row of spines along his back. _

_~It does not matter what I look like. I have far greater gifts for you.~_

"_What is it?"_

_~Before you become a proper shinigami, you must learn my name...If you do, then my powers shall be yours!~_

"_What is your name?" I ask, almost as a command._

_~You are eager for battle, young one. Do not be too hasty to draw blood!~ The dragon waves a clawed finger as he scolds me._

"_My friends are in danger! I need your power to save them!" Our gazes meet and I feel power surging through him and into me._

_~Then what? Helping your friends out of this fight is only one task. What of your future?~_

"_I will perform the duties of a shinigami! I shall protect the innocent souls of this world and the next!" I make myself sound deeper than usual, just to appear more serious._

_~Very well. Listen to my name, and remember it well! It is...Ryu No Shugojin."_

"_Ryo No Shugojin...thank you."_

_~Now boy! Cry my name and my power is yours!~_

"_Ryo No Shugojin!!"_

_~Louder! Roar so loud that the heavens shall hear you!!~_

"_RYO NO SHUGOJIN!!! LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!!"_

_~Very well...~_

The forest lights up and the dragon opens his hand. A sword drops into his hand and he thrusts it into my heart before I can even see it. This world explodes and for a moment I'm blinded...

*****

I am back in the real world. I am no longer impaled, on either sword or spear. I am standing in a small crater which surrounds me. Everyone has stopped fighting, even our foes.

I stare at my hand. A long sword is now in my grasp. The guard is shaped like the dragons head; his mouth is open wide revealing large fangs. Out of his mouth comes the blade, like a sharp steel tongue. It is slightly curved and the tip is wider than the base. A barb is placed on the cutting edge, just at the point where the swollen tip becomes thin. A light blue aura surrounds the blade and my arm. Soon it envelopes me completely. I feel strength pouring into me, as if I'm a cup and the sword is a tap on full blast. I grunt as the power surges through me. When it stops, I roar and raise the weapon to the sky.

"Whoa!" Ichigo stares at my sword.

"He's...got a zanpakuto!" Rukia trembles. He opponent, Yuki seems similarly shocked.

Piero laughs. "So, you have a sword! I'll still cut you up into little bite sized pieces!" He extends his naginata and growls.

"Bring it on, clown!" I glare at him, my whole body tenses. He charges straight at me and jabs at my body, but I sidestep with a speed that no normal human could manage. Piero's eyes widen as I slash him across the shoulder. He falls back and groans.

"Damn! Damn! I'm not losing to some stupid little kid!!"

"I'm no longer a little kid...I am a shinigami!" I bring the blood-stained blade to my face and study the red fluid. I shake the weapon and the blood flies of in little droplets. "I'm tired, let's finish this!"

"What?!" Piero grits his teeth.

Rather than respond with words, I leap towards him, landing in a crouch at his feet. I swiftly swing the blade in a horizontal arc, but Piero jumps up and lands on my blade, weighing it down. I curse and snap my leg out, hitting him in the back of his knee. His leg reflexively folds and he trips over. I draw my sword out and prepare to finish him, but he blocks the attack with his naginata's pole. He boots me in the stomach and I stagger back. The evil clown begins his counter-attack, striking wildly, swinging randomly in different directions. I narrowly dodge them and a few strikes leave thin gashes in my arms. The adrenaline makes me forget them.

Piero's jabs at me and I roll to the side, landing in a crouch. HE follows with a powerful jab at my face, but I dive out of the way. It seems his weapon is stuck in the ground. He grunts and heaves, but the blade remains embedded in the cement. I take this as a chance to end this fight. I charge, sword raised, anticipating the final blow. I come within range and I jump onto the pole of the naginata, using it as a ram to Piero's exposed head. I'll kill him the same way I kill hollow, splitting his head in two. Unfortunately, when the clown smirks, I realise he was waiting for me. It was all a trick!

He lifts the blade with ease and I am thrown into the air. I do a back flip but while still in the air, he swings the weapon like a baseball bat. I guard it but am hurled through the air. I hurtle towards a thick brick wall. I need to stop before I hit it. I have no idea how, but my feet grind against the air itself, as if it were solid ground. A trail of smoke trails behind me and I freeze. I am standing in the air!!

"Ha! You didn't even know you could stand on air!! You're so stupid it's almost sad!"

"No..." I regain my composure. "What's really sad...is a man whose age is over one hundred, still acting as a clown." I glare at my opponent who falls for my taunts yet again.

"Shut up kid!! I'll slit your throat!!" He charges again. I suddenly can't move. I no longer see Piero, but the dragon...

~It seems brute strength is not enough to defeat your enemies...You need more. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Do as I say, and we can beat him! Now take your zanpakuto and raise it in the air.~

I do as he says.

~Now channel your energy into it and yell this out as loud as you can...~

"MORETSU NA KAZE!!!" I swing the blade down diagonally and at first it looks like nothing has happened, but then Piero's leg detaches completely and he falls out of the sky like a bird that's been shot.

I stare in disbelief. What the fuck did I just do?!

~This attack condenses your energy into a highly powered blast of air. It should cut through anything that stands before you!~

Ok...I used air to make my foe a paraplegic.

~The blast must be aimed. You cannot expect it to guess where you want it to strike, you must fire it at the right spot...Try it again.~

I draw my arm back and repeat the name. This time I shoot it at Piero's stomach. I can see it now. It's so faint, it almost blends in with the world around it. Piero flinches, but he can't see it, so the furious breeze cuts through him. He roars in agony as his torso is divided in two. His internal organs are spilling out now and a sea of blood is flowing.

~Do not torture your enemy! Finish him off now~

I glide down over him. His arms can't move, he's too weak. He just glares at me.

"You bastard!! What did you do to me?!!"

"Thank you." I whisper.

"Huh?!"

"If you hadn't attacked me, I never would have become a shinigami. Also, you were weak enough that I could beat you while I was still learning." I smile at his demented face. "I shall give you the honour of being the first to die by my blade. Goodbye, clown..."

"YOU BASTARD!!!!"

With one clean slice, his head rolls off of his shoulders. He disintegrates like a hollow and the blue particles trail off into the sky.

The enemy force all share confused and angry glances. They retreat, but we do not follow. Everyone is still staring at me...

I thought this vacation would be a relaxing few months...but that was if I was still a normal human...now...I am a shinigami...and shinigami don't take vacations!

*****

We head inside. Everyone has been silent for too long, but finally Ichigo breaks the silence.

"That...was...awesome! You destroyed that weirdo! I can't believe I made you a shinigami!"

"No...It isn't right!" Urahara mutters. "If you gave him your shinigami powers, then he wouldn't have a zanpakuto shikai, it would only be an unreleased one."

"Maybe...his heightened spiritual powers reacted with Ichigo's transfused energy and they combined to speed up his evolution as a shinigami." Yoruichi suggests. Urahara nods.

"True...I've never seen a normal human survive such attacks before, there was already some kind of power within you, but it only awakened due to Ichigo's huge reiatsu melding with your own." The shop owner places a hand on his chin. "Dragon Guardian...Impressive."

"Is that what the name means?" I ask. "The Dragon who spoke to me...that was his name."

Everyone stares at me.

"Hmm. You've already talked with your zanpakuto's true form...amazing!"

"How long does it usually take?" I look around at the others.

"Well, it took Ichigo several months to converse with Zangetsu, and he was borne from borrowed powers too. Your progress has been unnaturally fast!"

I stare at Ichigo's mighty zanpakuto, Zangetsu. "Really? But he's got much stronger reiatsu than me!"

"I know, that is why it is so strange."

"Who cares? He saved us!" Orihime wrapped her arms around me, too tight though. I still had the large hole in my body where I was impaled. Orihime feels it and shrieks. "Oh my god!! Can't you feel that?!"

"Not really...I assume it was an adrenaline rush or something..."

"We should get that covered up. Orihime, you know what to do!" Urahara went into the kitchen. "I'll get us something to eat."

As Orihime worked on me, her gaze continually drifted up to my face. "That weapon of yours...it was scary."

"How so?" I ask.

"That man...you cut him into little pieces without even touching him..." Orihime goes green in the face when she relives Piero's disembowelment. I change the subject before she vomits all over me.

"So...will we go to school tomorrow?" Fortunately, the plan works, Orihime refrains from throwing up and the green is gone from her cheeks.

"Maybe...But we're all still wounded."

"Oh, we'll say we were in a car crash! No-one will care!" I realise if my mum had seen me like this she would have had a heart attack, but then again, a dog bite on my ear many years ago nearly killed her, so no surprises there.

"Tatsuke will be suspicious."

"Who's Tatsuke?"

"Only my bestest friend in the whole wide world!" Orihime beams.

"Bestsest?"

"Yeah! If I was a lesbian I'd go for her instead of Ichigo!" I stare wide eyed at her. She giggles and rubs the back of her head. "But I'm not." A part of me is disappointed. At least I'm still partially my old self. "I'll introduce you to her tomorrow."

I nod and watch as the hole in my chest closes up completely.

Afterwards, we all gather in the dining room, so far, it's the only room of the shop to not be damaged by invaders. Urahara walks out of the kitchen wearing a green and white striped apron. "Because the Aussie guy saved us, I made a treat for him...Steak sangers!"

My mouth waters at the scent of the steak. I drown it in tomato sauce and dig in, the others eat slowly. They are more accustomed to noodle and rice dishes and stir fries, but in the end, they love it! When we are all full, it's time for sleep.

When Urahara stops near me, Rukia and Orihime, he stares at us awkwardly. "I'm sorry, but...there's only one mattress...I never have this many people sleep over usually..."

"It's okay! Orihime giggles. "I don't mind sharing!" Me and Rukia look to each other, unsure, well, at least Rukia is. "Come on! It'll be fun!" Orihime says.

"Did you just wink at me?"

"Good night!" Urahara leaves us.

We wrestle each other for the middle spot, which has the most room. I get there first, squeezing between the two girls. As they roll about, trying to get comfy, I feel certain body parts brush up against me. Instantly, my pains are erased, and an inerasable smile creeps onto my face. When they are asleep, I subtly wrap an arm around each of them and drift off as well...

I wish we could stay like this forever!

A pervert with a deadly zanpakuto! Go me!! But how long will it be until the enemy returns, and will they bring their full army with them?! Find out in the next chapter!

Please review!! If you dont...I'll use my zanpakuto against you!


	7. Calm Before The Storm

**7.**

This chapter contains sexual references and nudity (not that you can see it, but...still...it's in there.)

My hands are touching something soft...and...Squishy? I open one eye and it rolls around until it spots my hand. It's...Its...squeezing Orihime's breast! Orihime hasn't woken up yet, fuming. In fact I think I hear her moaning. I look over to Rukia, to make sure I'm not groping her. Thankfully my hand rests on her shoulder. At least only one person could possibly get angry at me now, but knowing Orihime, I doubt it.

I feel disappointed now that I'm awake. It's so nice sleeping in this human sandwich. I decide to close my eyes and just pretend to sleep. I reminisce of the borderline wet dreams of last night. It seems this vicious series of battles has not stifled my perverted mind. While the battles are over, I can enjoy my mortal life.

Orihime shuffles about and my hand releases her and withdraws to my side. She rolls over and faces me. Her face is only a few centimetres from my face. "Morning!"

"Good morning." I say cheerfully.

Orihime looks past me to my arm still wrapped around Rukia. She frowns.

"What?"

"Your arm." She points to me.

"Oh, that! She fell asleep on my arm and it's stuck." I lie. Orihime tugs my arm and it slides away from her, my fingers draw against her back and she begins to wake. "Oh, maybe it wasn't stuck..."

"Don't be ashamed, Alex. It's okay if you have feeling for her." Orihime pats my shoulder.

"What?" Rukia asks, rubbing her eyes.

I turn around so fast I think a bone breaks. "Nothing!"

"It was not nothing! Just tell her!"

"Tell me what?" Rukia gazes deep into my eyes. I'm screwed!

"I...I..." I trail off.

"He's too nervous to admit it, but he likes you." Orihime giggles. "He's got a crush on you. He was hugging you all last night!"

"Hey!" I tackle Orihime and cover her mouth with my hand. She bites my finger and yells out.

"He want's to go out with you!" I cover her mouth again and force a laugh. Rukia does the same.

"That's sweet. I guess I owe you anyway." Rukia smiles and I see a sparkle in her eyes.

"Huh?"

"I'll go out with you." I freeze. My mind works at a slow pace. What...the...hell? I never even said anything and I'm in with Rukia...Oh well, I'm not turning this down!

"Thank you." I mutter, faking shyness.

Orihime squirms away from me and laughs. "If all goes well, you will fall for each other, then Ichigo will be mine!! All mine!!" We stare at her for a while, and then laugh.

We find our uniforms arranged outside the door. There is a small not which reads: 'It wasn't break and entering...I never broke anything!' Urahara's signature is underneath.

"He got into our homes so easily...that's...creepy." I say nervously.

"Yeah..." Rukia agrees.

Orihime gets dressed with the door wide open. Me and Rukia are more modest and get changed in private. We meet in the dining room where Ichigo is waiting. He looks up and smirks.

"Aw, the threesome over already?"

"Get stuffed!" I roar jokingly. I feel like saying 'If it was a threesome, I would never leave.' but I refrain from doing so.

"Ichigo, why would you say that?!" Orihime asks.

"Well, one of you was moaning for hours last night. I couldn't sleep...I wasn't even in your room!"

I look over to Orihime whose cheeks have turned bright red.

"You're going to be late! Go already!" Urahara yells, like an angry parent. We set off to school and halfway there, we come across a tomboyish girl with short, spiky black hair.

"It's Tatsuke!" Orihime runs ahead and greets her. We walk slowly up to her. It seems Rukia has been slowly creeping closer and closer to me as we walk.

"Hi Rukia." Tatsuke waves and suddenly looks at me, rather distastefully. "Who's this?"

"Alex, he's on holiday here from Australia!" Orihime answers instead. I nod and look to Tatsuke.

She focuses on me, as if she knows a secret about me. I feel tense, even though there's nothing to fear. All of a sudden she looks all happy. "Australia has kangaroos, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Do they actually box, or is that just a joke?" She asks, throwing fake punches as she talks.

"No, they seriously do that. You can pay to fight them, but it's pretty expensive." I can barely keep a straight face as I lie to them...but seriously, why have they all asked questions about kangaroos?!

"Have you fought one?"

"Yeah, but they are pros! Knocked me to the floor! They've even beaten pro human boxers!"

"Wow! That's totally awesome! I have to go there one day!" Tatsuke laughs and throws more punches into the air.

"Tatsuke's a black belt at karate!" Orihime informs me. I nod and take a mental note: Don't piss her off!

"That's impressive!" I give her a clap and she bows. "I only got to green belt in Tae Kwon do..." I trail off when I see an unnerving smile cross her face. "What?"

"How good are ya?" Oh shit... I flinch before she even moves and she cracks up laughing. I feel stupid. "Oh come on! I wouldn't have hit you! That would be unfair!" She pats me on the shoulder and smiles. "You're alright, Alex."

"Yeah." I mutter as my racing heart slows its pace.

"Well, we don't want to be late. We better hurry." Everyone runs off, except for Tatsuke. "Alex, wait up for a second."

"Okay, but we'll lose Orihime and-"

"I said wait!" My fear of her comes back.

"What's...What's wrong?" I ask, fearfully.

"Are you one of them?" She asks, her voice has gone deeper than normal. She's really serious!

"I...I don't know what you mean?" I stammer.

"Don't play dumb! If you're their friend already, you must have seen it!" She glares at me, her eyes are almost glowing.

"What?! I don't-"

"Stop lying! I can tell you're hiding something from me!!" She steps so close to me I could kiss her, but that would end up with me in a coffin. "You've seen them...Running about with swords, in their samurai clothes." I gulp and nod. "Have they told you anything?"

"No."

"Don't lie!!" She picks me up by the collar and hurls me into the wall. It's strangely similar to Ichigo's outburst. I remember the orange haired boy's threats and my body stiffens.

"He said...If I told anyone...He'd kill me!" She understands I'm telling the truth, but I'm not off the hook yet.

"Tell me everything! I'll make sure you are safe."

"Another time...We're gonna be late for-"

"FUCKING TELL ME!!" She drops me and I land in a heap at her feet. She crouches down and suddenly she looks calm again. "You don't know how much this has been eating away at me. My closest friends won't tell me the truth and they avoid me. I try and do stuff with them, but they never show up. I try and talk to them and they won't answer of they say 'It's none of your business!' It's...It's too much! They are supposed to be my friends!!" She suddenly falls on her ass and cries. My fears dissipate and I feel sorry for her.

"I'll be your friend." I whisper. "I'll never lie to you, no matter what." She looks up and I watch the tears roll down her cheeks.

"Really?"

"Yeah. But now isn't the time. There are things I still don't know, but when I find out, I'll inform you."

Tatsuke wipes away the tears ad sniffs. "You really mean it?"

"Sure." She lunges at me, but rather than attack, she hugs me. She cycles through apologies and thanks for a while until I stand up. "Are you alright?" I ask her. She takes a deep breath and calms down.

"Ok...I'm fine..." She looks off into the distance and then at her watch. She turns to me with a playful smile. "Race ya to school!" Before I can accept her challenge she darts off. I curse and sprint after her. For a while, we are neck and neck, but after two hundred metres, she slips ahead and I slowly fall behind. I was never good at long distance. I'm alright at short, but after a couple of hundred metres I just fail. I run alone for two minutes and find her waiting outside the gate, laughing and waving.

As we walk through the corridors, we talk. Not about shinigami, but little things. I tell her about my home back in Oz, she tells me about her home. She apparently lives quite close to Ichigo. Her parents are both business partners at a legal firm and are always out. She only see's them on weekends and special events. She tells me she practically lives alone, which makes me feel sympathetic. To make things evened up slightly in the sad game, I tell her of my parents break up. Suddenly we both feel sorry for each other.

We stop outside the room and I freeze. "This is my first time in the class...I'm nervous."

"Don't be!" Tatsuke pats me on the back. "If you have any troubles, I'll beat them up for ya!" We both laugh and the noise of the classroom ceases. They heard us.

The door opens and the teacher leads us in. She is in her mid-twenties and has thin framed glasses with large round lenses. Her dark brown hair is tied back in a ponytail. "Ah, here he is!" She grabs my shirt and drags me to the front of the room where I watch many pairs of eyes staring at me...judging me. "This is our new student. His name is Alex McMullen. Now why don't you tell us about yourself?"

What is this? Show and tell? I sigh and start my little bio. "I'm from Australia. I'm here on vacation and will be here for a while...uh...I...play guitar and draw in my spare time...and..." I turn to the teacher who rolls her hand around, signalling for me to keep going. "I listen to death metal-"

"EMO!!!" One of the kids roars out. I mouth the words: 'fuck you' and he stares at me hatefully for some time.

"I am also quite smart and-"

"Nerd!" It's the same kid. I sigh and look over to Tatsuke who takes out a pen and throws it at his face. The shot is almost perfect, hitting him in the cheek and drawing a line down his face. Everyone laughs at him and he growls curses under his breath.

I have no idea what to say, so I look around and say, "Any questions?"

A girl at the front, with short brown hair raises her hand. "Do you have kangaroos in your country?"

What the fuck?! That's the fifth time!! This is so dumb! "Yes, we ride them around places." I say smugly. She giggles and claps. The whole class, mainly the girls react positively.

"Alright, Alex. You can go sit down now. There's a spare seat between Kurosaki and Rukia." I nod and go to my seat. I take out a book and pen and notice a note on the table in front of me, only it's scrunched up. I unfold it and read the message: 'Can we go to the movies?' There is a capital Y and N underneath. I circle the Y and pass it to Rukia. She reads it and smiles at me. I turn back to the front and out of the corner of my eye, notice Ichigo staring at me with a 'What-are-you-up-to?' Kind of look.

The class breezes by. I don't even know what subject it is, but I have a hunch that it's history or something. The bell goes and most of us stay in the room. A girl in front of me leans over in her chair and I realise it's the same one who asked about kangaroos. "Do you have koalas too?!"

I think up another brilliant lie and a wide smile crosses my face. My family owns a refuge for wounded koalas! We take care of the babies when they are lost too!"

"Really?!"

"Yeah, but one time, I found this little baby, out in the cold. He was all starving and weak. I tried to revive him but...but..." I pretend to cry and my act tugs at the heart string of every girl in the room, unleashing a stream of tears which nearly floods the room. I receive at least ten hugs and they all share my pain.

"It's okay Alex, you did everything you could!"

"You're still a hero in my eyes."

"I love koalas...and you!"

Love is a much easier game to win in Japan...Australia must be really uptight, despite our laid-back attitude and prevalence of bogans. We share the love for a few more minutes before the bell goes. They make their way back to their seat and I find Ichigo glaring at me.

"It's no holds barred with you isn't it?" He asks.

I don't understand the question so I remain silent. He recognises my unfamiliarity and sighs.

"You don't mess around do you? You cut to the chase."

"Yeah! Japanese chicks are so friendly, it's so much better than Australia." I feel like a god, but why shouldn't I. I'm a shinigami, or death _god! _I turn to Rukia who looks sad. "Don't worry, I'm only being friendly with them, you're my treasure." She giggles and smiles, something I wouldn't usually expect from her.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ichigo suddenly comes between us.

"Ichigo, calm down!" Rukia shoves him back to his seat, but he does not calm down. "Look. Me and Alex are-"

"Are what?!" Ichigo interrupts.

"Well shut up and I'll tell you!" Rukia snaps. "We're going to see a movie tonight, alone."

"Like a date?" He asks. I sense a part of him crumbling apart, as if he's lost a poker game he's bet his life savings on. Rukia nods and he falls silent. "Okay." He says submissively. "Have fun." He's utterly destroyed. Rukia looks sad again, but she returns to her seat and taps me on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine."

"If you say so..." I take one last look at the broken Ichigo and then the teacher comes in. We have another easy lesson and then it's the end of the day.

Rukia and I give our numbers to each other and then say our goodbyes. I walk alone for a while, but Tatsuke catches up to me.

"A date with Rukia huh? You sly dog!"

"Sly? I won over everyone in the class with my koala story." Tatsuke nearly melts when I remind her of my false work as a wildlife vet. She soon brushes the issue aside and stops me outside a coffee shop.

"Come in here for a sec, I'm thirsty!" She walks in first and I follow after her. The place smells of fresh coffee beans and I am intoxicated by the smell for a short time. I spot Tatsuke sitting down at a little corner booth. She studies the menu as I sit opposite her.

"Anything take your fancy?" I ask.

"I'll order soon enough, but first..." She drops the menu and glares at me; her gaze burrows straight through me. "I want answers!"

"Okay...I'll tell you a little, but I need to get home soon." I wave a waitress over and ask for a bottle of lemonade. She rushes back with a bottle of what looks like Schweppes, but is written in Japanese. I scull a third of it and sigh. "Ichigo, Rukia and I...are shinigami."

"I?" You don't mean...?"

"I'm one of them too." Tatsuke's eyes widen. "Anyway, our primary duty is to send souls to the afterlife, but half of that job involves slaying creatures called hollows. If you can see us, I'm sure you've seen those monsters with white masks?" She nods. "They are the souls that don't get saved in time. They become ravenous monsters which only exist to eat others souls. They don't care if you are alive or dead, they will attack. We kill them before any serious damage is done."

Tatsuke just stares wide eyed at the table for some time. I wait for her to register what has been said. "So...those things were once...people?!"

"Yes. It's an unfortunate task, but they must be slain, for the protection of others."

"What about the swords?"

"It is our weapon of choice."

"Where do you get them?! I've never seen a shop anywhere that sells weapons like Ichigo's!"

"They are actually part of our soul." I explain, but it makes her stare at me funny. "A shinigami will confront a manifestation of their soul; mine was an odd looking dragon. If you learn their name, they will give you a blade which contains the power of your soul."

Tatsuke frowns and tilts her head. "Explain it again." I sigh and repeat myself more slowly, using simpler words. I even take a lesson from Rukia and do diagrams, although my hollows don't look like cute little bunnies. Eventually, she takes it all in.

I check the time on my phone. It's been two hours since school ended! "Sorry, but I've got to go!" I rise to my feet and begin to walk away, but Tatsuke grabs my shirt and makes me stop. I face her and she has a kind smile.

"Thank you..."

"No problem!" I smile and wave, then sprint home. Fuck I hate long sprints, but it has to be done. I maintain a good speed for four blocks...then it goes downhill, not literally though, the road is flat.

I eventually arrive at my apartment, sweating and panting like a dog. I drag myself into the apartment and sigh. I hurl my bag at the far wall and rifle through my clothes. I take them with me to the bathroom.

"Are you having a bath?" Orihime asks, popping up out of nowhere.

"Yeah...why, did you need to use the toilet or something?"

"No, I'll have one too!" She grins at me.

"Oh, you want to have one first-"

"No." I frown. It's always difficult to understand what she wants. She rolls her eyes and pushes me into the bathroom. There is a large bath tub, but no shower. Orihime starts to fill up the tub and I have a slight idea what's going to happen. The thought of it makes me tingle.

"You can get in now." She strips down completely and my eyes pop out like they do in kids cartoons. It's the first time I've seen a naked woman in real life. I've seen them on SBS during European movies with no real plot, just random sex scenes. I feel something trickle down my nose. I wipe it away and nearly scream. It's blood! I'm having a nosebleed! I never get nosebleeds!!

Orihime turns around and bends over to turn off the tap. I stare at her nether regions with my jaw dropped wide enough to fit a whole nine-ball set in there.

I take off my clothes and jump into the tub before she can see the snake which resides between my legs. I cross my legs and my face glows red. I cast my gaze on everything in the room except for Orihime's naked body.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing!!" I squeal. I try to ignore her, but I'm failing...miserably. I stare through the transparent water, between her legs and my whole body tingles.

"Am I the first girl you've seen naked?" She asks. I look her in the eye and nod. She makes the sound girl make when they see a puppy roll over. "Aw, that's okay. I've never seen a naked boy." She looks down, but I hide my genitals. "Oh, don't be shy."

"I'm not shy!" I blurt out.

"Well it's not like there's anything to be ashamed of."

"There is...trust me!" I say.

"Don't be silly!" Orihime shuffles closer to me. She grabs my arm and moves it aside. I close my eyes, expecting her to scream, but she doesn't. Sort of... "What the...? Is it usually like that?!" I feel like crying, but I'm embarrassed enough. I don't say anything at all, just watching her eyes as they focus on my privates. "Well, you learn something everyday, huh?"

I nod slowly.

"You wanna see mine?"

"What?!"

"It's only fair! Anyway, we're only friends. It's not like you're gonna do stuff to me!" She giggles and I ponder her words. It's the fact that we're only friends that makes me feel uncomfortable. Orihime sits back and reveals herself. I study every single curve, every patch of flesh, every little bit. The waters sort of murky, so I don't see too much...but then she stands up. I'm eye level with her...'cough' 'ahem' area...

I do something any boy my age would do...I pass out.

Isn't it nice to unwind and not worry about vicious monster and killers? Let's hope it lasts a while longer.

Please review!! 


	8. Good Things Never Last

**8.**

I wake up fully dressed. I'm in black jeans, with a black Metallica T-shirt. I stare at them. Wasn't I naked in the bathroom before I passed out?

Orihime is sitting near me with a smile on her face, but then again, she never stops smiling. "I dressed you in some nice clothes...you would have been cold if you were out here naked.

"What time is it?" I ask dazedly, not wanting to talk about the embarrassment of the bathroom incident.

"It's six o'clock."

"Shit! I have to meet Rukia at the movies in ten minutes!"

"Actually, she rang earlier saying that she was already there. She's waiting for you."

"What?! When?!" I yell.

"About five minutes ago." Orihime mutters.

"Crap! I got to go!" I hurriedly snatch my phone and dash out of the room. I leap down the staircase, nearly breaking my legs, then charge into the cold night air. I vault over a fence and avoid an angry dog as I use someone's yard as a shortcut. I high jump over another fence and come to a stop. I get my bearings back and realise I'm still two blocks from the cinema. I curse and run off again. I don't stop to check the road is clear and narrowly dodge a moving car. I dive over a hedge which stretches up to the gutter and do several forward rolls until standing back up. I side step other pedestrians and run through a group of children who block the whole path. I think two of them are knocked to the ground, because they cry out in pain and yell at me. I ignore it when I see the large building just ahead. I dart across the road...

Only to be struck by a car. The silver car runs into me and I roll over the roof and land flat on my back behind it. I groan in pain and roll onto my stomach. I struggle to lift myself and a slender hand rubs my shoulder. I turn my bruised head to see Rukia, her face reading of concern.

"Sorry I'm late." I cough.

"Are you alright?!" Rukia asks, sitting down beside me. We block traffic and a man behind us beeps the horn. "Fuck off!! He's been hit by a car!!" Rukia roars angrily and the man stops. She helps me stand up and leads me to the path outside the cinema. I collapse and she kneels down to help me, but I wave her away.

"Get our tickets...I'll be there in a minute." I groan and sit up. Rukia frowns, but walks inside. The driver who hit me strolls out cautiously. He looks absolutely terrified. He's probably shitting himself right now.

"Kid...are...are you hurt?"

"What do you think?!" I ask. I raise an arm and show him a large graze which runs up my whole arm. It is bleeding in some areas. The guy goes whiter than a sheet.

"I'm really sorry! It's just that I got fired fro my job and I'm really stressed and I've got to-" I raise a hand and he stops talking.

"It's okay, it was an accident...arrgghh! Dammit!" My hand is grazed and scraps of skin are flaking off, like dried glue.

"Look, I don't want any lawsuits or anything! I've gone through enough..." He looks around frantically and then reaches into his pocket. He takes out his wallet and takes out ten notes. "I'll give you..." He counts it, but stops. "I'll give you all this...So you can keep quiet about this! Go buy that girl something nice!" He's nodding anxiously, like a terrified bobble-head.

"Thanks mate!" I give him a thumbs up. He stares at me. "It's an Aussie thing." I explain. He nods and then drives off. I limp into the theatre and every one stares at me. I find Rukia waiting in a line of people waiting to get in. "What are we watching?"

"Well, I thought we'd watch something scary...since I've got someone to keep me safe." She smiles in a way that makes me almost collapse again. "Are you sure you're alright?" She looks me up and down.

"I'm sure!" I fall to my knees but get up as fast as possible. She frowns at me, but I force a huge smile to make me look okay.

We finally get to the front of the line and the man studies us. "Have you got identification of your ages?"

I stare at him. I left my wallet at home!

Rukia takes out two fake licenses, one for me and one for her. My eyes widen and she giggles and signals for me to keep quiet.

"Okay, you're fine..." The guard looks at me. "You're bleeding."

"Oh, I only got hit by a car, nothing to worry about!" I walk past him and he glares at me, confused.

The cinema looks like an entertainment centre. It's got a set of seats below and another set of seat one floor up. We take seat at the back of the lower stands. We get a good view of the screen, and there are no people around to annoy us.

"So, what's this movie called?" I ask.

"Bloodbath two: they're back!" Rukia makes growling noises and we both laugh. "It's a zombie movie!"

"Do you like them?"

"Yeah! They scare me senseless so I never watch them alone, but they are pretty good!" She looks at me with a curious stare. "Do you like them?"

"Hell yes! I absolutely love them! There's nothing better than to lay back and watch zombies eating some poor bastard with an empty shotgun." I describe the zombie movie cliché where someone is knocked to the floor and has their stomach ripped open, only to have their entrails taken out as if he were a packet of chips. Rukia cringes but we eventually laugh.

"So, how did you get fake I'd's?"

"Urahara makes them all the time. He loves anything that's illegal."

"He's not a criminal is he?"

"No, but he's not a perfect guy either. He's done some twisted stuff...but I don't want to speak of that..." She suddenly looks depressed, but when the rumbling of the speakers come on, she lights up like a candle. "It's on!"

We watch the studio logo cross the screen, then a lovely splatter of blood covers it. As it drips down the screen, the name appears. Then, a hand claws through it and drags the camera into a dark abyss.

Rukia trembles from the excitement and I laugh at her.

We watch the movie for a while, without doing anything, but eventually, her hand grips mine at the first death. A girl on-screen runs about, grasping her eyes which have been torn out. She runs into a dor which breaks under the impact. She falls over and a mutilated zombie charges through the door. He leaps onto her and eats at her face.

Rukia squeals and grips my hand tighter.

After two more gory deaths, she is hugging me. Ever time a zombie appears she nestles her head in my chest. I rub her back and try to reassure her and she eventually watches again. This is so much fun!

After a while, a horribly mutated zombie appears. It is much larger than normal people and its organs are all bare. When it moves, it's guts fall out, but the beast keeps moving. Rukia screams when it tears a mans head off as if it were a bottle cap. She cries into my chest and I hug her gently. I hear a muffled noise...I think she's crying. I move her head out of my chest and plant my lips on hers. Our tongues dance for about three minutes and then we pull away. Her eyes are wide and she's blushing.

"Better now?" I ask. She giggles and nods, but then another victim is torn apart and she prepares to scream. I kiss her again, one eye opened to see the onscreen carnage...I love Rukia, but I love zombie movies too! We stay like this for about ten minutes, until the epic battle ends with the biggest blood splatters I've ever seen. Guts are flying, limbs are falling off, brains are exploding, it's freaking crazy!! A tired heroine is crawling backwards away from the giant mutant zombie. It bares it's fangs and charges for her. She screams and takes out a shotgun. The beast bites onto the guns barrel, his teeth barely centimetres from her hand. She suddenly smirks and pulls the trigger.

'KABOOM'

The huge beast staggers backwards, his face blown apart. Blood is gushing from his mouth like a waterfall and the girl is covered in it. The beast writhes about and she fires again and again. It topples over, but keeps coming. She uses up the last of her ammo, but it's still coming. Meanwhile, Rukia and I are still kissing. I don't know whether it's the added pleasure form Rukia or not, but this is the best movie ever! We stop and together we watch a shot of the woman clubbing at the off-screen head of the zombie. She grunts and gasps as every strike drenches her in more crimson fluid. She raises the damaged shotgun in the air and brings it back down one more time. There is a sound of splatter, but the film cuts to black.

The audience cheers and roars. We walk out, arms wrapped around each other. We stop by a bench seat and sit down. "Did you like the movie? Well at least the parts you watched?"

Rukia nods. "But the fun part was with you!" She hugs me tight, but a bit too tight. It hurts me. I groan and she steps back. She walks around me and lifts my shirt. She gasps. "You're back!! It's all scraped off!!"

"Is it really bad?" I ask.

"Well, it's bleeding. Do you want to come back to my house? There's bandages and stuff there."

"Ok."

We hail a taxi and sit in the back, our mouths locked together. We eventually stop outside the house. There is a sign on the front: Kurosaki clinic.

"Wait!! You live with Ichigo?!"

"Yeah."

"Well, then why did we just go out?!"

"We're not together, I just sleep there. I have nowhere else to go." Rukia frowns.

"You could live at my place. It's pretty spacious." I suggest.

She nods but leads me inside anyway. We sneak around until we come to a room at the back of the house. It looks like a doctor's surgery. Rukia takes a bag of stuff and we go out again.

"Did we just...rob Ichigo's house?"

"No...Okay, maybe a little bit!" We crack up laughing. We walk and talk for a while until we reach the apartment. We go inside and she stares at the empty room.

"I have most of my stuff at Orihime's. This place was so dusty when I got here."

"It's clean now..." Rukia studies the place. "Maybe Orihime fixed it up for you while we were out."

"Maybe." I sit down on the couch and she sits beside me. She takes out a disinfectant and pours it into a cloth.

"This may sting." She presses it onto my grazed arm and I howl like a wolf. Then I say the 'f-word' about a hundred times. By the end I'm crying hot, stinging tears. "That's one arm done!" Rukia says while wrapping it in bandages.

I wail as she does the same with my other arm. This one hurts less, but it still stings like hell. When it's done, she tells me to roll over. I chew my lips and roll over. My eyes are squeezed shut and I've clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, preparing for the worst. She places the cloth along my back.

"!!!!!"

Rukia jumps back, startled by my outburst. I hear the doors to other apartments opening and people scurrying out.

"I'm fine!!" I roar and I hear them retreat back to their lairs.

Rukia bandages up my back and I leap into her arms, crying like a baby. She throws away the cloth which is now red with my blood. I knock her over and we fall to the floor. She giggles suggestively.

*****

A few hours later, we're both asleep on the couch, wrapped in a blanket...and each other. It's probably only about nine, but we're exhausted. We fall asleep. I hear noises outside, like someone trying to break in, but I can't be bothered checking it out. I'm sure someone else will deal with it.

*****

I hear voices...menacing voices. It's not two drunk people chatting about nothing. It's two people talking in harsh whispers.

"It's him! We should slit his throat while he sleeps! Save us the trouble of actually fighting him!"

"No, we'll wait...It shall be morning soon, we shall check again later."

"Very well...Hey, did you see them doing it! Sly bastards caught some tasty meat!"

"Shut up and go! Your vulgar attitude is not something I like to experience this early."

"Whatever...but if we have to fight them, I want her!"

I hear footsteps. Rukia whimpers and I hug her tighter. Something bad is going to happen!

I lay there, half asleep, half alert. Eventually, we wake up. I can still sense the presence of the two men from last night. Rukia sit up, rubbing her eyes. She yelps when she realises she's only wearing a bra and panties. She gets dressed and so do I. I feel like telling her about our intruders, but I hold back.

"Did you sleep well?" She asks.

"Not really. I heard...a couple of drunks outside, yammering about something. Woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"Can you cook?" I shake my head. "Well, we're screwed then."

"I'm sure there's a take-out place near here."

We get dressed and go out, finding a MacDonald's store. We order some breakfast and sit down near the window. Rukia waits at the counter and I mind our seat. I see two people standing across the road from us. They are talking to each other, but both keep looking at me every few words. I turn to see Rukia bring the food. As I tuck into the meal, I realise the men are gone!

"What's wrong?" Rukia asks.

"Um...nothing...really. It was just a stray dog, but it's gone now."

"Poor thing, maybe it's lost." Rukia frowns.

I take another bite of the 'McMuffin'. "Do you know McMuffin was one of my nicknames in primary school?" Rukia chuckles. The greasy food tastes surprisingly better than usual.

The door behind us opens and those two men from before walk in. They stare at me as they walk past. My eyes widen and Rukia takes notice of my fear. She turns around and looks at them. "What is it?"

"I...I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about those two guys." I point with my head at the two men. Both are wearing leather jackets and studded belts. Their hair is black. One has long straight hair; the other one has shorter hair which only reaches his shoulders.

"I don't sense any reiatsu...it's probably only two bikers or something." Rukia turns back to her meal. "Don't worry. We're safe."

"Alright..." I blink and when my eyes re-open and Rukia's burger is pinned to the wall, a small blade stuck in it. Rukia's eyes are wide and her hands are still in the shape of when they were when holding the burger. She looks like something out of a Hungry Jacks ad.

I turn to face the counter. The two men have split up. One of them is facing us, the other is slaughtering the cashier with a sinister looking knife with spikes sticking out from it's blade. It digs little trenches into the cashiers face and mutilates it beyond recognition. People are screaming and running away, but the second man who is closer to us blocks the way and cuts them down with a weapon I haven't seen yet.

The first man hurls more of the little blades and takes down two people sitting near us.

"We have to get out of here!" I whisper.

"But...theses people are-"

"We'll die trying to save them! We have to go!"

"Go where?" The man who was in the aisle is now next to us. He has the Roman numeral for two engraved in his skin. The flesh is cut away revealing his skull beneath. He twirls his hands and then catches his weapon...a whip made of barbed wire.

"Doesn't that hurt?" I ask.

"Yep...but remember kid...there's a fine line between pleasure and PAIN!!" He cracks the whip and it wraps around me. I scream as the barbs lacerate my already wounded arm. The man is laughing.

"Hey bro! I've got him for ya!"

The other man approaches. He has the Roman numeral one etched into his forehead. He punches me and I flip over the table and land in the aisle. The other man grabs Rukia and throws her at the tray holder.

"We've heard of Piero's unfortunate death. It displeases us. Fool or not, he was one of us."

"Was he a hollow...or a shinigami?" I ask.

"He was a shinigami. He was only a third seat, but he was a powerful warrior. Word is you beat him effortlessly...cut him into pieces with an invisible attack."

"Yes."

"I want to see it!" One takes out his knife and braces himself. This is really bad!

"I...I don't know how to turn into a shinigami! I can't do it!" I plead with him.

"Well, I'll just have to force it out of you then!" One twirls the nasty looking knife. His arm surges forwards and I flinch, closing my eyes...I don't feel anything. I open my eyes again and he's still holding the weapon. He chuckles. "So...a wimpy little kid managed to kill Piero...maybe he was just weak and I never noticed...even the elite make mistakes."

"Yes! It was a freak accident!! I'm not strong!!"

"Well, that's a disappointment...I really wanted a good fight."

"Well you won't find it with me!" I crawl away from him, but he follows.

"There's only one thing that could cheer me up from this failure...Torturing the weak!" He lunges at me, the knife held above his head. He comes within a few metres of me and then something hits him. I swear he was punched, only by some big bulky arm.

Two turns around angrily. He cracks the whip at someone outside, but a blue arrow which appears to be made out of reishi knocks it aside. Two curses and two more arrows pierce his arms. He growls and charges out. I rise to my feet and watch a huge man block the whip with a large shield. He then retaliates with a punch from his other arm. I soon realise that it's Chad...and that the shield is actually part of his arm. Both arms have changed colour, one black, one white. The white arm is for defence, judging from the way he's fighting.

The other fighter is a kid with glasses. He's wearing a strange white uniform with a half cape flowing around behind him. He is using a bow made of spirit particles. Two seems to be overpowered. It seems we might be able to beat them.

"Damn! I was foolish to let my guard down! It won't happen again!" One storms past me, completely forgetting his plans. One disappears and is suddenly standing behind Chad. Luckily, the huge kid blocks the oncoming attack with his shield. One leaps away and lands near a parked car.

"Who are you people?" Chad asks.

"I could say the same for you!" One replies.

"You tried to hurt my friends. You are a threat to the peace of this town!" Chad clenches his fists.

"You think you have a chance to defeat me? How foolish! I shall show you that even when a captain falls from grace, he is still unbeatable in combat!" He jabs the blade straight through his hand, the blade protruding from the other side. "Splinter, Toge No Ryushu!"

"Shit!" Rukia grits her teeth. I rush over to her. She is covered in little scratches, but none should do to much damage.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"He's releasing his shikai!"

"Urahara said something about that...what is it?"

"Shikai is the first stage of zanpakuto release. That was what you created the other day."

"But...my shikai was so powerful!"

"They all are...the only thing stronger...is the second phase..."

"Second...phase?"

"Bankai. We have to hope that he never uses that here." Rukia stands up and unsheathes her sword. "Do you know how to release your sword?" I shake my head. "No matter, I always keep this handy." She produces a little red glove with a cartoonish skull on it. She punches me and...and I fall out of myself?! Rukia smiles. "You're now in your shinigami form."

I realise I am wearing a black kimono and a sword is strapped to my side. I take the sword out and frown. "This isn't my sword...this blade is straight."

"No what you saw last time was your release. You have to say the command and your zanpakuto's name!"

"What's the command?" I stare at her my face a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"Didn't he tell you?" Rukia frowns. "You need to talk to him again."

"How?!" Just at that moment...he appears. He steps over the corpses in the aisle and shakes his head.

~I never thought it would be this violent already. I thought we'd have more time to get to know each other, after all, we shall be partners in battle for many years to come.~

"I need to know the command phrase!"

~Breathe.~

"Is that it?" The dragon nods.

~You shall deal with this mess and we will talk later!~ And with that, he disappears.

"I know it now!" I yell excitedly. It seems time passed during our conversation, as Chad and the man with glasses are both incapacitated, and Rukia is in trouble. One's sword has now become much longer...it almost looks like the katana on those tattoos...

"Alex! I can't hold him off for much longer- Aaaghh!" Two has wrapped his barbed wire whip around her again.

"Stop!! Fight me! I'll give you your fight!"

"What's this then? The kid suddenly thinks he can fight!" Two snarls at me. "Go on! Show us your special sword then!"

I raise my bland katana to the skies and roar, "Breathe!! Ryo No Shugojin!!" An explosion of reishi surrounds me and the two evil brothers have to shield themselves from the dust-cloud. I stare at the blade in my hands...it's the perfect weapon to take down these bastards. "It's time to fight for real!"

One chuckles. "Perfect! Let's see how strong that thing really is!!" He charges at me, full speed.

Two cracks his whip, but I strike it with incredible speed. The whip falls into two pieces. I still focus my gaze on One. We cross the blades and I tremble from the intense reiatsu. This guy is far stronger than all the others I've faced...

"Let's see your special move then!" One asks, shoving me backwards.

"Fine...but it will spell out your doom!" I raise the blade in the air. "Moretsu na kaze!!" I swing the blade down and the blast of air shoots off. One unleashes his own blast and the two cancel each other out. I stare wide eyed. He...stopped it!! How am I supposed to beat him now?!

"Is that all? What a shame! I'll show you a special power!!" He swallows his sword and glares at me. "Ban...kai."

It seems the fun didn't last long...the battles are resurfacing and they are more fierce now! Will I be able to defeat One?

Please review!


	9. Hopeless Battle

**9.**

Thing's were going well. I had gone on a date with Rukia. We got up to...stuff...and were ready to start another fun day. But instead, two creeps just had to stalk us and attack. I thought I could get rid of them with my special power, but it seems they have no trouble blocking it. My power is not enough to beat them, but now, my opponent has revealed his next trick.

"Bankai!" He glows orange and then thorny rose vines shoot out of his body in all directions. They come out of his ears, his shoulders, hands, feet, knees, everywhere!! His eyes have disappeared and now strange red roses sprout from his eye sockets. His teeth are thorns and so are his fingernails.

"What...what are you?!" I stagger back, shocked.

"This is my true power! You have no hope to defeat me now!" One growls and the 'I' carved in his head starts glowing. It then shines on a spot on the ground, where his barbed sword suddenly appears. He snatches it in his hands and smirks.

"Alex, this is too much! We can't beat him! We must retreat!" Two slaps her roughly.

"Shut your mouth bitch!" Two's eyes widen when I suddenly stand behind him.

"I may not be able to kill One, but his little brother is an easy target!" I drive the blade into his centre mass and he roars in pain. I drag the blade down and it gets caught in his ribs. He notices the blade is stuck and smiles. He raises his whip.

"Moretsu Na Kaze!!" I hear a horrible ripping sound as Two's lower body shatters. Everything but his arms and head fall apart. He shatters like a porcelain doll. His eyes widen and he tries to speak, but he disintegrates. "Two down. If there were only eight of you involved in the experiment, I'd say we're doing quite well!" I grin at One who looks surprised.

"Well done! My brother was a Lieutenant and you killed him in only three hits! I applaud your efforts, but a captain is far stronger than his assistant! I will never fall that easily!"

"Then I won't fight you!" I pick up Rukia and leap onto a rooftop. She stares at me.

"What are you doing?"

"You said to retreat." I answer simply.

"But...our friends!" Rukia points to Chad and the other kid.

"I'll have someone retrieve them. Urahara is stronger than the both of us; we'll get him to rid us of that guy." I leap across the buildings, but One follows.

"Escape is not that easy, my friend!" He clicks his fingers and the sky tear open. I know what it means and I hurry across three blocks. I'm so close to Urahara's. I only need to get past three more rooftops.

One flashes in front of me and slashes both my arms. I drop Rukia and my sword. My hands are almost severed, clinging on by tiny scraps of flesh. I howl in agony. I fall over and stare at my ruined hands.

"You bastard!! I'll kill you!!"

"How, you can't even lay a finger on me."

"Fuck you!!" I roar defiantly.

"My, such a mouth. Maybe I should remove your tongue so you can't say such things!" One approaches, his vines are reaching out to me. I just stare at the gushing stumps that cling to my hands. I feel death coming near...Even with my shinigami powers, I am nothing compared to their elite warriors. I was useless from the start!

A red veil flashes past my eyes. Suddenly, the vines are cut in half, their tips thrashing uselessly on the ground. One stares in shock.

"What is this?! Was it your doing, boy?" My equal surprise answers his question. He looks off in the distance and sighs. "Oh, it's you again!"

Urahara appears in front of me. He is holding a sword with a rectangular blade. Little beads and ornaments are attached to ornately crafted guard. His body tenses and he speaks over his shoulder at us.

"Rukia, take him back to his home. Get Orihime to heal his hands. Don't worry about Chad and Uryu, Tessai is already on his way. Now go!"

By now, the hollows have crossed. Orihime's house is underneath the tear in the sky. We have to get closer, yet escape them at the same time!

Rukia lifts me over her shoulder and grunts. "Forgive me; I'm not used to carrying people."

"It's okay..." I whisper. As she leaps across the rooftops, my hands spin around on the ribbons of skin that barely holds them. She comes to a stop and I look around. The apartment building is down below. The hollows have completely surrounded us now, a seething mass of fangs claws and ugly white masks. Rukia sets me down and draws her sword.

"Alex, I'll hold them off so you can get inside."

"What?! I can't even knock on the door!!" I show her the mutilated stumps at the end of my arm.

"Fine!" She mutters something and a blast of ice crashes into the door, smashing it apart. She flicks her sword and the ice shatters as well. The doorway is clear. "Now go!"

"Thanks." I hop down onto a balcony a few floors down and then leap onto the roof of a fruit stall. It buckles, but holds. I run to the door and leap up the stairs. I wait outside Orihime's apartment. I nearly knock on the door, but stop myself in time. "Orihime!!"

The door opens and Orihime looks at my face. "Wow, you look awful! What happened?" She hasn't seen my hands yet. I walk inside and collapse. She see's my mangled limbs and screams. She reflexively calls out her little healing creatures, Rukia told me a little about them. As they hover around me I take notice. One of them is a tiny girl with a red and white cover over herself which has wing blades sticking out. The other is a little blonde girl with a pony-tail. They are only the size of a Child's toy action figure.

Orihime asks again what happened.

"We were ambushed! They struck us down while we were eating breakfast! They killed every single person in the store and wounded Chad and...Uryu?"

"Oh my god! How many were there?!"

"Two. One of them is dead. I killed him. The other guy said he was a captain...he swatted me away like I was just a fly!"

"What?!"

"My powers barely made him blink! He beat me with one fucking hit!!" I want to slam my fists together, but they are still mending. A thin layer of bone has returned, but not enough to fully support them.

"Where's Rukia?" Orihime asks another question.

"Outside, fending off hollow...s...Oh no! She's still out there!!" I try to stand up, but without the aid of my hands, I fall over and make myself look stupid.

"Wait here!" Orihime jogs outside, ignoring my cries. I crawl to the window and look outside. Rukia's hair is a mess and her kimono is torn in many places. She is covered in cuts and her shoulders are heaving with the effort of breathing. Hollows are absolutely everywhere. So many have crossed! There's no way we could hope to hold them off. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a glowing haze in the distance, where Urahara is still fighting. I can't tell whether the glow is from our side or theirs, but it's emanating a fierce reiatsu.

Orihime is standing in the doorway, frenziedly commanding her sole offensive creature. She mentioned them once...I think the offensive one was called Tsubaki or something. The little flying critter glows orange as he flies straight through the hollows, killing them instantly. Many hands swipe at the tiny creature, but he bravely fights on, looping around endlessly, stopping the hollows from advancing.

I want to help, they need it, but I am in no condition to fight...unless...No, I've got no chance. I'm only kidding myself. All I can do is watch my friends get overpowered and killed, waiting for the hideous bastards to hunt me down and eat me too!

My hands are healing a little better. There is a piece of bone about as thick as a permanent marker and my hands are shaky, but remain up, rather than flopping around like before. "Come on!!" I urge the tiny creatures healing me.

"We're doing the best we can!" I hear a tiny voice reply. I remain silent and watch impatiently as my friends struggle on.

Rukia sends a pillar of ice straight into the enemy and it freezes them in seconds, taking down at least fifteen hollows in one shot. When the ice shatters, tiny pieces of flesh flutter about on the breeze before they disintegrate. I suddenly feel hopeful, but then a hollow with long, snake like fingers wraps his ropey digits around her and slams her into the ground.

"Rukia!!" I clench a fist...Wait! I clenched a fist!! I can hold a sword!! My attacks are nothing against a captain, but against hollows, it will be effective! I just need to be able to swing a sword without breaking my wrist. I hold on for a little while longer. Muscles are forming around the bone and thin layers of skin are forming. I grit my teeth and wrinkle my face, waiting to be able help my friends. I hazard another glance at my doomed friends.

Rukia is being pummelled by a hollow which looks like a gorilla, while rope-fingers holds her back. Orihime is deflecting bony darts being hurled by a tall hollow with similarities to a wasp.

I look back down at my hands. They are still in terrible shape, but they need urgent help. I'd rather have fucked up hands than dead mates. I snatch my sword and mutter its release phrase. It takes on the beautiful curved shape I've grown to love and I feel the power emanating from it. I walk out of the door and glare at the monsters. Some stop and stare at me, as if I'm from the future. I raise my mangled hands, gripping the blade only lightly. I swing it in a wide horizontal arc and roar. "Moretsu Na Kaze!!" The compressed blast of air spreads out and wipes out the whole front line...in one direction. The hollow fall back, knocking the others behind them further back.

This attack provokes many angry roars and hisses from the rest of the horde of hollows.

I approach Orihime and cut down the large wasp. I then send another furious breeze into the hollow restraining Rukia. It falls apart and the gorilla roars, but Rukia is now free to behead the ugly creature.

We regroup and realise it's at least three against three hundred. We're outnumbered by a hundred to one. This is seriously dangerous. We need help! But it's too late to think of a plan, they are charging.

Rukia sends out a wave of ice and Orihime erects a shield behind it, preventing a counter-attack. Meanwhile, I cut down the approaching force from the west, while Orihime distracts those from the East. Rukia helps subdue the eastern force and while the West recuperates, I take care of the frontal assault. It seems to be going well. We've slain about thirty, that's ten percent already! Unfortunately, we're already getting exhausted.

Rukia gasps and struggles for breath as she rolls away from a large fist. She then severs the arm and dodges another strike.

Orihime is struggling to follow, with her Shun Shun Rikka spread out, some making shields, another attacking and another healing a large gash she sustained while fighting. I can barely hold the sword anymore. My wrists are hurting worse than anything I could possibly imagine, but my desire to stay alive and protect my friends keeps me going. When this is all over I'll cry like a baby and curl into a ball, but no isn't the time!

I can't even hear my negative thoughts over the howls of these ravenous beasts. I close my eyes and jump, landing on the head of a large hollow. His eyes cross as he tries to see me, but I drive my blade between the glowing red fires and end him. As he topples over, I leap into the foray, taking on more hollows. I cut down a three headed sloth with twisted horns, but a snake wraps around me. I slice into its body and free myself. I cut down two approaching hollows, before killing the snake.

"Alex?!" I hear Orihime yelling out for me. I turn back, expecting to see her, but the beasts have encircled me. I'm cut off from them!!

I need more strength, but it seems my dragon friend is too busy to help me. I curse and jump over a large clawed hand which tried to slap me. I land on it's wrist and jab my sword into the bone, rendering his hand useless. The beast backs away, but on it's comrades kills it for me. I stare horrified at them. They work as a unit, yet they'll kill them in an instant when they are after prey...they truly are monsters!

I leap back from a snapping jaw, but fail to see the fist behind me. The punch hurls me farther into the sea of tooth and claw. I fall on my stomach and see a foot with huge talons stop right in front of me. I roll onto my back and unleash another blast of air, killing two hollows in one.

"Alex!! Can you hear me?!"

"YES!!!" I roar as loud as possible. I hear Orihime yelling at Rukia, informing her of my presence.

I leap into the air and roll onto the nose of a large anteater. It glares at me, but I kill him before he can act. I then use his body to jump even higher, giving me a bird's eye view of the scene.

Orihime and Rukia have been overpowered and are now stuck in a tiny patch of bare ground, a shield around them and Tsubaki circling wildly. Rukia has formed a shield of ice behind them and they are barely holding off their opponents.

"Moretsu Na Kaze!!" The highly pressurized air which mixes with my spirit energy rains down onto the front three rows, passing through the back of their heads and going through to the next hollow. It clears a space the size of a bus, but it only takes ten seconds to be taken back up. I land on the spined head of another hollow and hack down into the top of it's mask. I then front flip over his spasming body and dig through the back of the next hollow in line. The beast roars and reaches around to grab me, hauling me up in front of his face. I release another blast ad his hand explodes, letting me fall to the ground, closer to my friends now.

I still have about eight metres of ground to cover which could mean up to twelve hollows. I curse and hack at the knees of the closest soul-eating monster. He topples over and snaps at me with his jaws. I side step him and divide his head in two. I then raise my blade to attack the next hollow, but a long wave of ice flows past me, freezing the hollow I was aiming for. Rukia and Orihime are running across the frozen path and they stop above me. "Get up!!"

I climb the icy snake and then stare in awe at the clean path made through the ranks of beasts.

"We're getting out of here! We can't fight them when we're surrounded like this!" Orihime runs off, followed by Rukia, who grabs my hand and leads me, but I don't need directions, it's only one way...She's holding it for another reason, but whether it's out of fear or another emotion, I'm not sure. I squeeze it back and she smiles.

The hollows roar in outrage and some climb on behind us. Rukia stops and holds her hands out.

"Hado number 33. Blue fire, crash down!!" A giant blue fireball shoots out of her hands and incinerates the few straggles who try to follow.

"What was that?!" I ask.

"Kido. They're shinigami spells." I nod and we set off on a long sprint...We make good pace for a while, but I eventually slow down. My lungs are over-exerting themselves. I double over and cough violently. "Alex, are you okay?" Rukia rubs my shoulder.

"I've just...not had a breather...for too long!" I get my breath back while Rukia covers my back and Orihime covers the front. I haven't fully regained it, but I run anyway. We can't rest forever. We're about halfway to the edge of the hollow ranks and we're making good progress...however.

'Snap'

"AAAAGGHHH!!" Orihime trips over and lands face first into the ice path. We sit her up and she stares at her left foot. "My ankle! I think it's broken!" I notice a hole in the path and the fact that Orihime's foot is bent in the wrong way.

"Just...Just heal it! We'll protect you!" I nervously watch the hollows which are crawling onto the path now.

"Shit..." Rukia draws a circle with her sword and chants something. A huge pillar of ice shoots up into the sky. She then flash steps up to the centre of the pillar and cuts it in half, so that the two halves fall into the crowds of hollow, crushing them.

"Good work. I can't do anything like that." I send a blast of air into the hollows scrambling up towards us. Orihime wails as the pain intensifies.

"I can't heal it! I can't think straight!" Orihime frowns. "I'm sorry."

I sigh and lift her onto my shoulder. "Rukia, lead the way." She nods and flash steps in front of us, leading the charge.

"The hollows...They are...They are..." Orihime doesn't finish her sentence.

"What?!" I ask impatiently.

"They're...right behind us." I begin to turn, but I see the shadow fall over me and I run faster.

"We're almost there, only twenty metres to go!" Rukia tries to reassure us.

"I'm...I'm getting tired!" I mutter.

"Alex, hurry!!" Orihime beats on my back.

I free one arm and unleash a furious breeze behind me. It takes down the first hollow, but a faster one just leaps over the corpse.

"Alex!"

"I know!!" I push myself further on, but I feel my speed slowing.

"We're here!" Rukia is at the end of the path. She waits for us to get closer and then she jumps down.

"Hold on Orihime!" She grips my body tightly as I leap. I see bare ground beneath us, but my feet don't touch it...I feel something like a train crash into me and I soar though the air like a bird, only I'm not controlling my flight. I slam into a tall building and barrel into another wall which I pass through. I finally stop when a metal shelve collapses on top of me. Orihime's nowhere in sight. She must have fallen when I was hit... Rukia is outside somewhere...I...am alone!

I try and lift the shelving, but it falls back down. On a third attempt, it finally lifts enough for me to crawl out. I groan as my legs refuse to move. I crawl to the hole in the wall that I created. There is another room past it until the entrance hole. I drag my broken body closer to the hole, eventually passing it. I continue to crawl across the floor, but my body eventually gives up. I fall short of the exit, but I can see outside...there are no humans, only hollows. They have completely overrun the area. Rukia and Orihime either ran off, leaving me for dead...or they were killed... I close my eyes and grunt. My bones are all aching and my hands are numb. I try and bring them to my face, but they respond sluggishly. I stare at them. The wound has closed over, but they are swollen and bruised. My hands are covered in blisters and some are bleeding. I cough and watch droplet's of blood spatter the floor in front of my face.

"Rukia...Orihime...Everyone...where are you?" My eyelids flutter and I feel myself falling unconscious. My eyes close, but reopen, blinking rapidly. I can barely see anything, except the blood on the floor...but just before my eyes close for the last time, I see something. A foot steps onto the stained floor, right in front of me. I don't see the rest of the person, as I fall unconscious.

Please review!! Tell me what you think of the story, I'm sure you've got somthing to say now that you're this far in.


	10. Recovery And Discovery

**10.**

Where am I? I can't feel my arms, or legs...It's dark, wherever I am. I can barely see a thing. I hear water dripping from the roof. It is an irritating noise. I sit up, painedly. My back hurts so much, but I endure the pain. I get on my knees and crawl around, feeling my way. I find something like a door and open it enough to see outside. Light spills in like water through a broken dam. I have to look away and close my eyes. I try again and squint through the glare. Someone's outside, in what appears to be a courtyard. I slowly recognise the face.

"Tatsuke?" I ask. I was supposed to say it my mind, but the word slipped out. She turned to me and walked slowly, her expression, one of concern. She opened the door fully and looked down at me with a frown. "What happened?"

"A good question. I rather hoped you could answer that one!" She says it rather angrily. It's unsettling. Nonetheless, she helps me to my feet and I lean on her shoulder as we head through the courtyard to another building. Inside is a small table with a few wooden chairs around it.

"Where are we?"

"My house." Tatsuke said. "I was keeping you in the shed for a while. It's quiet there so you could rest." I look back and realise, she was right. It's a well constructed shed though, nothing like the tin shack we Aussies usually have. The courtyard was actually her backyard, only with a cemented area cleared out in the centre. A simple wooden fence surrounds the yard. We sit at the table and she places a cup before me.

"What's this?"

"It's a pain-killing medicine. I take it when I get injured in Karate practice. It works really well."

I stare at the dark fluid, but drink it anyway. Within seconds, the pain from my hands heals and I can grip the cup tighter. I look around the place. It looks like the house of a loner, not a family. The furniture is simple. There are no family photos, but there is one of Tatsuke and Orihime at a party. I smile while I study the photo.

"That was from my fourteenth birthday. We ended up finding my moms stash of alcohol...she has a problem. Anyway, we ended up getting drunk, it was a fun night."

"I bet it was..." I mutter. I notice something in the background...a familiar face...

"What's up?" She asks, noticing my confusion.

"Who's that? The girl in the background." I point to the person, half concealed in the dark.

"Oh, that's Beth." Nothing clicks. "She was a transfer student last year; we became good enough friends to invite her. Do you know her?" Tatsuke tilts her head to one side.

"Feels that way...but I can't remember..." I stare at the Goth girl in the photo.

"Maybe she's from Australia too." She suggests. Suddenly it dawns on me. My eyes widen and I nearly choke on air. "What?!"

"That girl...She's...She's the one who attacked us!!" I point at her and scramble away from it, as if she's going to crawl out of the photo and kill me.

"When?! I never heard about this!"

"No! A few days ago...when we had all those days off and said it was a car accident...it was actually her! She attacked us during the night! She wiped the floor with us!" I cringe at the thought of that fateful night.

"Whoa...I thought she went back home..." Tatsuke says innocently.

"She was on my flight. She followed me here and attacked when our guard was down. They did it again today!" I slam my fist into my palm.

"Today? You mean yesterday?"

"Huh?" I stare at Tatsuke.

"I found you yesterday, in a large building. Something beat the living shit out of you!" Tatsuke looked afraid for a second. "Those monsters...you called them hollows. They were everywhere!"

"I know. It's the last thing I remembered. I was trying to escape, but something hit me and threw me into that building. I passed out and ended up here." I explain my last moments, suddenly remembering something important. "Rukia and Orihime!! Where are they?!"

"I don't know. I never saw them. I was looking for you all, but only felt your presence, the others were untraceable." Tatsuke frowns. "I hope they aren't-"

"Don't say it!" I interrupt her, wiping tears from my eyes. "They are alive!"

"Can you feel it?" Tatsuke asks, her face ashen. "They are not here." I say nothing. I can't respond to that...because she's right! "Ichigo is gone too. They all are!" Tatsuke says fear in her voice.

"You don't mean...they can't all be...dead?" My hands shake and my voice cracks.

"Unless there's another explanation, but that's the only one I know!" Tatsuke bows her head and falls silent. "What's going on?"

"It's a war!" I answer her, but she never expected a response so she stares at me, shocked.

"What?"

"There is a rebellious group or renegade shinigami. They are very powerful and can manipulate hollows. They are waging war against us all! If Ichigo and the others are gone, then I see little hope of victory..." We stare at the floor for a while.

"So, what do we do?"

"We can't fight; we can't run...we're doomed." I give up. I tried my best and got nowhere.

~What kind of shinigami are you?~

It was the dragon, Ryo No Shugojin! Tatsuke is trying to talk to me, but I can't hear her, or respond.

"What else can I do? Your powers are not enough to help me!"

~I may not be able to fully train you, but there is another part of you that can!~

"Huh"

~Who gave you shinigami powers?~

"Ichigo...why does it matter?"

~You may not have noticed, but he wields a power that is different from a regular shinigami! He also wields the power...of hollows!~

My eyes widen. Ichigo must be in league with the hollows then!

Ryo chuckles. ~His loyalties are strong, you need not concern yourself with that. But when he transferred his spirit into yours, he gave you this power! All you must do is subdue it and you will become stronger than any normal shinigami!~

"How do I subdue a part of my spirit?"

~I'll show you!~

I fall unconscious.

*****

I wake up on a large rocky outcrop. The sky is red and there is a molten sea below. Small rocks crunch under my feet as I walk around. The ground is cracked and craggy peaks stretch off into the distance. This place is devoid of life.

"Where am I?"

~This is your subconscious. It is here where you must conquer the inner hollow.~

"This...is inside my head?"

~Yes.~ The dragon appears in front of me and he opens his mouth. I expect him to talk, but instead he vomits. It's a disgusting black substance which eventually morphs into a human shape. The black liquid drips down around it and eventually clears to reveal a pale white face. It looks exactly like me! The only differences are the red hooks that are painted at the sides of his eyes. The ones closer to his nose curve down, the ones close to the ears curve up. Two more hook markings are at the corners of his mouth, both curl down. His hair is white, so is his skin. His eyes are dark red. He looks like a creepy albino.

"Hey bro!" He says, raising a hand which still drips the gross tarry substance. "I know why you brought me out! You wanted a fight! You want my powers because alone, you're a weak piece of shit!"

I feel the urge to run up and punch him. Instead, I sigh and nod. "Yes, I need you help."

"Help? You want me to help you?!"

"Yes." I gulp in the air, but it's like poison. I cough and spit it out. "If I must fight you to get you to aid me, then so be it!" My zanpakuto falls from the sky, landing right in front of me. I take it and grasp it firmly.

"Okey dokey!" My hideous twin smirks and he reveals teeth that are a rotten brown colour. "Let's go!" The black puddle beneath him spurts up and forms a familiar shape. It turns into a sword...my sword! The blade is black and the guard is white.

I simply stare in awe as he charges. He hit's me harder than a ton of bricks, hurling me into a mountain. It crumbles around me and I grunt as I lift myself out of the rubble. I now realise he is serious. I need to fight with a clear mind or else-

"Found ya!" He swings down, aiming for my head, but I roll forward and unleash a blast of air at his feet. He jumps over it and unleashes one of his own. I leap over it and we fight in the air, using it as if it were solid ground. We exchange furious blows, knocking each other back with each strike, then charging in for our own. We hit back and forth for sometime and my twin grins wickedly. "You're pretty fast! Maybe you ain't as bad as I thought."

"Maybe, but compliments won't stop me!" I shoulder charge him and then jab at his stomach before he recovers. He bats the blade away with a hand, causing his hand to bleed. He ignores it and performs a sweeping kick. As I jump, he slashes the air, cutting my shins. I fall out of the sky and land in a pile of rocks.

"Damn! He's strong!"

My twin laughs insanely before soaring down to kill me. I get an idea. I slash at the ground around me, causing a dust cloud to form over me. When my opponent can no longer see me, I unleash a blast of air at him. It cuts through the cloud and strikes his arm, severing it. He roars as black blood spurts out of the stump. He growls at me and send four blasts after each other, straight at me. I cut through the first two, but the others get me. I softened the impact, but they still carve into my stomach. I cough up blood and lay back in the rocks.

"So, we're tied right now!" My doppelganger mutters. "Now it's time for the tie-breaker!" He raises his sword high and I close my eyes. I need to think and fast!

"Shinkiro En!" a wall of pale flames burst out of the ground. I thrust the sword into them and they attach to the blade. I swing them in an arc and the flames shoot of, striking my twin in the chest. The attack took him by surprise, but not as much as me. I didn't even know I could do that!

~Just another of my tricks! There is more to learn, and you must use them to beat this creature~

I smile confidently and rise to my feet. The hollow me is coughing violently. His chest has been severely burned and tar is seeping through his skin.

"Time to finish this!" I thrust the blade into the ground and roar, "Daku Torunedo!" A black gust of wind forms around me and I extend a hand to my opponent, the black tornado flies off, aiming for my enemy. The hollow stares at the oncoming gust. He unleashes a blast of air at it, but nothing happens. The tornado hits him and explodes, leaving my inner hollow to collapse, his body bloodies and bruised.

~That is all I can teach you. My power is to manipulate the air to become a weapon. You know all I have to offer so far, now thrust your blade into the hollows heart!~

I do as he says and walk over to my defeated foe. He glares up at me with a pained expression.

"How?! I didn't even know about those moves!"

"Neither did I." His eyes narrow when I say that. "Now, help me, or die!" My blade hovers over him and he gasps.

"Very well...I'll help you. I want to learn your moves, then, next time...I'll defeat you!" He tries to stand, but falls again.

"Do as you wish. Just aid us during the war. Now...become one with my blade!" I stab him in the heart and he turns to black reishi which flow into the sword. Lightning crackles in the sky and the ground rumbles.

Ryo grins. ~the battle is only just beginning Alex! You must defend this place from ultimate destruction, or you shall perish with it!~

"What?" I turn to face the grey dragon who snarls.

~This inner hollow...he may try to rebel. If he takes over your soul, then this world will be destroyed, and your soul will be lost forever! You must control him if you are to survive! You must promise to not let him kill you!~

"I promise you, I shall not be defeated by my inner hollow! My corpse belongs to the battle field!"

Ryo chuckles. ~That was the answer I desired to hear!~ He fades away and I wake up.

*****

I blink rapidly and realise I'm back in Tatsuke's house. I'm no longer in a chair, I'm lying on the floor. I sit and look around. Tatsuke is backed up against the wall, her face mixture of fear and confusion.

"What's wrong?" I ask simply.

"You! You just fell to the floor and then you started bleeding out of nowhere! I kept asking you if you were okay and you...you...it was like you were having a seizure or something!"

I blink again and she shrieks. "Don't worry, I'm fine now!"

"NO! You're eyes!!" I tilt my head and she points at me with a shaking finger. "You're eyes are...Red!"

"Red?" I stare at her, she must be seeing things.

"What happened to you?! The air...It's..." She begins to cough violently. "It's choking me! I can't breathe!!" She tries to run, but trips. I suddenly realise what she means. I can feel my own presence, but it's different. My inner hollow has changed me. The bastard! I defeated him and still he rebels!

~No, Alex. He is not rebelling, you have not stabilised your reiatsu. You will not have to fight you inner hollow again for some time. Now concentrate, lower your reiatsu before this girl dies!~

"I, I don't know how to-"

~Stop panicking! Do as I say, be calm and empty your thoughts!~

I try, but Tatsuke's choked gasps are putting me off. I close my eyes and drown out the world with my thoughts, then I take a deep breath. The overwhelming pressure has eased, but not enough. I continue to empty my mind and suddenly, the force is gone. I blink and notice Tatsuke still lying on the floor. She was foaming at the mouth, but I wiped it away with a cloth before propping her up against a wall. Her eyelids flutter open and she stares at me.

"What...what was that?!" She asks. I'm not certain enough to tell her, so I just shake my head.

"I don't know..."

She takes the bait and looks around the room. "Maybe it was those weird people who want to fight you?"

"Possibly, but, it's over now. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Like what?" She asks simply.

"We need to find Rukia and Orihime! Those hollow must still be out there!" I point in a general direction of where I can feel a strong reiatsu, but it feels similar to...

"They were called back!" The blonde man suddenly appears behind me and I jump. "Hello Miss, I don't think we've met." Urahara extends his hand and she shakes it nervously. "I'm Kisuke Urahara, I own the store a few streets away."

"I'm Tatsuke Arisawa." She mutters. "Why and how are you in my house?"

"Put simply, I am a shinigami." He smiles confidently.

"Wait, a simple store owner is a shinigami too? How many of you are there?!" Tatsuke cocks her head and glares at the intruder. I don't know the answer, so I stare inquisitively at the man.

"We shinigami are commonplace. We place members in every area on the globe. Though I was banished decades ago."

"Banished? From Soul Society?" Tatsuke asks, remembering my brief explanation of the afterlife.

"Yes, but my powers still remain, so I help local shinigami when they need it. It is on that basis that I am here. I wanted to check up on you Alex, I felt your presence dwindle earlier."

"Yeah, something huge knocked the living shit out of me! Tatsuke found me and brought me here until I recovered." I smile in thanks to the girl who pretty much saved me.

"Also...I felt a strange aura coming from you only a few minutes ago. It felt like a hollow..." Urahara tips his hat so his eyes are visible. They are sending me a piercing glare. He looks like a parent who has discovered his liquor cabinet open with a child next to it. "What did you do?"

"I...I'm not entirely sure, but I think I gained hollow powers!" I stare at my hands as I speak.

"How?! That should not be!"

"Ryo told me that because Ichigo transferred his powers into me, his hollow powers were transferred as well." I explain, though I still don't understand it myself. Urahara looks like he's paled.

"Alex, I want you to not use those powers for a while! They are dangerous!" Like I need him to tell me that! I nearly made Tatsuke suffocate just by standing next to her. "You must be careful! The war is going to start in a month."

I almost feel shocked, but I freeze and raise my eyebrow at him. "A month?"

"Yes. I received word from Rukia that the date has been set." Urahara scratches his scraggly blonde hair.

"Rukia? Where is she?"

"Soul Society. She went with Ichigo to meet with the captains for a strategy meeting of sorts."

"What about Orihime?" Tatsuke beats me to the question. Urahara's face darkens and he looks away from us.

"She..." He struggles to find the words. I feel my stomach tighten. I dread the words that could come out of his mouth. "She is still alive, but is in bad shape. She broke a large number of bones in the hollow attack. Tessai is resetting them, but it will take some time for her to recover. That is one good thing about this spare time."

"We have one month spare? What do we do?" I query.

"Whatever you want! Train or relax, it's up to you...but remember, this could be your last month! You could die on that battlefield so don't waste your time!"

"If it's okay with everyone...I'd like to enjoy my holiday a little while longer before everything is destroyed." I mutter the words with a croaking voice.

Urahara sighs. "Very well. Enjoy your stay, it may be your last."

"Thank you...When will everyone return?" I look to Urahara for an answer.

"Depending on how long they take to reach an agreement with the captains, possibly a day or two..." He trails off and stares squarely at me, a sly smile crossing his face. "Unless you want to go for a run?"

I stare at him quizzically and he chuckles. "Come to my shop. We have business to attend to."

My curiosity again gets the better of me and I follow him. We leap over rooftops. Even though it's easy to do now with my powers, I still let my jaw drop in awe of my agility. I have no idea what Urahara has in store, but I have nothing else to do...

We eventually arrive at his shop. It is battered and broken from the recent fights. The front walls are splintered and the windows are smashed. The ground around is cut deep, leaving potholes behind. He leads me inside and leads me to a bare room with only a red rug in the centre of the room. He throws the rug aside and reveals a trapdoor made of a decaying timber which has turned an unsavoury shade of dull brown. He opens it and I notice a ladder that stretches on down to something far below.

"Please, go first." He waves a hand at the ladder and I hesitate. I gaze down and notice that the ladder must be at least a hundred metres tall. I gulp when I see the ground below. I turn around and Urahara is suddenly behind me. I try to utter something, but he hits me with his cane. I fall...right into the huge hole.

I'm flying, really flying, only my landing will be the polar opposite of soft. I try and grab at the air like I did in previous fights, but I'm falling way too fast. I glare at the spiked chunks of rock that spell out a hideously gory death. I am going to die! Maybe that's what he planned in the first place! He would send me to Soul Society by killing me! That dirty son of a bitch! I'll have his head!

I notice a bright flash behind me. It soars past, lightning fast and strikes the ground, forming a large spider web made of reishi. It's a net, but I'm falling so fast I'll probably just tear through it. I realise how I've done nothing with my life. I didn't get a job, didn't get good enough at the guitar to actually take it further, I never wrote a bestselling novel, I never got laid- Oh wait, I did!, scratch that one...but still, so much left undone and now I'm going to become a sticky red paste stuck on some spiky rocks.

I do a countdown in my head and slam into the net. It stretches and warps under the impact of my fall. I think it's going to break, but it flings back up, launching me into the air. I fall back down into the spider web, this time landing softly. I can't move for a while, my heart pounding so fast it feels like it will burst out of my chest like something out of the 'Alien' movies.

Urahara appears underneath me and he clicks his fingers and the net disappears, letting me drop ten metres to the ground. He catches me and then sets me down on the ground. I look around in awe. This underground area has its own sky. It is a barren rocky place, just orange rocks and dirt.

"This is my secret underground training/experiment/relaxation grounds." Urahara smiles arrogantly. "Impressed?"

"A bit...but that ladder is a hazard." I brush the dust off of my ass and stare at him, remembering his attempted murder. "Oh yeah, I forgot something." I shoot my leg out and send a roundhouse kick right into the side of his face. His body is hurled into the air and he lands a meter away, grasping his now red cheek.

"What on earth was that for?!" He yells angrily.

"You tried to kill me! You pushed me down here!" I point up at the trapdoor with a scowl.

"That was to make things faster! That ladder takes a long time to traverse! Anyway, you didn't really think I would kill you did you?!" My face goes red. I've revealed my distrust for this man in a painfully obvious way. "What did I say the first time we met? You have to trust me Alex!"

"Sorry." I shuffle foot through the dirt, looking at it instead of him.

"Oh well, it can't be helped. Anyway, I'm going to send you to Soul Society via this." He clicks his fingers again and a portal appears out of nowhere. The walls are made of many papers overlapping each other. "This will convert your body into spirit particles so that you can travel to Soul Society." My blank stare makes him sigh. "Soul Society is made entirely of spirit particles. Only souls can go there, so this portal will convert you into a soul, understand now?"

I nod slowly, staring at the portal. "What am I supposed to do?"

"_We _are going to the meeting."

"We? You mean-"

"I'm going too!" He pokes me with his finger and I am sent flying into the portal.

How will I react to Soul Society?! How will they react to me?! How will my last month be spent? Find out in the next chapter!

Please review! 


	11. You Have One Month To Live

**11.**

I stare at what lies beyond the portal. This place smells of rotted flesh, but there may be a reason. The walls are some kind of fleshy substance that appears to be melting. Every now and then, a ribcage like structure can be seen behind the dripping mess. Sinister looking skulls are sticking out in little patches every now and then. The ground is a dark blue.

"Hurry!" Urahara roars. He runs up to me and lifts me back to my feet. We run side by side in silence until we hear a loud rumbling sound.

"What's that?!"

"Your killer if you don't pick up the pace!" Urahara roars. I can't resist. I chance a look behind me and see a giant light which is swallowing up the path behind us. Half a second later, Urahara is behind me, his hands moving in a frenzy. He's chanting something, but I don't take notice. A strong wind hurls me far up the tunnel until I'm only a few steps from the exit. Urahara vanishes and reappears next to me. We dash out of the tunnel and land in a large courtyard.

I look up at the bright sky. I then cast my gaze on Soul Society. We are in a courtyard. The ground is a large checkerboard of cement tiles the size of a dinner tray. The whole square area is surrounded by a wall a few metres high. It has a shingled roof. There are a few paths, one in each direction. I follow Urahara to one path which leads to a gigantic staircase, the largest I've ever seen. I crane my neck up to see the top which looks as if it is in the clouds. Urahara lifts me over his shoulder and uses his teleporting trick to get us to the top of the stairs in a few minutes, instead of a few hours.

He drops me at the top and doubles over, catching his breath. "I haven't done that for a long time! I need to get used to it again!"

I stare at the building before us. It looks like a castle from ancient Japan. It is surrounded by a high stone wall, guarded by a bunch of shinigami armed with staffs. They look weak, and I can't feel their presence, so they must be weak. A large character is engraved on the giant gate.

"One." Urahara says. "This is the first squad barracks." Before I ask, he explains. "Shinigami are divided into their ranks, but they are also divided into squads...the Gotei thirteen. There are thirteen squads, each with a captain, vice-captain and many other officers. Most of them still have a captain, though recently, we were betrayed by our own men. We lost three captains." He looks very angry at the mention of the traitors, so I decide not to pry into it further.

"What's so special about the first squad?"

"Each squad has its own duty. Whether it is patrol, battle, healing, governance, research, every captain leads his men for a certain purpose. First squad is led by the captain commander, he rules over all of us as the highest ranking shinigami. That is why we are here." He approaches the guards who cross their staffs protectively. Urahara closes his eyes and suddenly both the men are on the ground unconscious.

"Whoa! What the hell did you just do?!" I stare at the bodies which don't even twitch. "Did you just kill them?!"

"No. I knocked them out. Don't worry, they're fine." He pushes the gate open and we stroll through a large open area with a large garden next to the walls. The building has a large front entrance. We walk through and walk down a series of corridors until we come to a large wooden door with the number one written on it. Urahara pushes the door open and a gasp arises from the crowd.

"Kisuke?!"

"Is it really him?!"

"What is he doing here?!"

He walks in first and beckons for me to follow. I walk in, hiding behind Urahara. I'm still reeling from the shock of how powerful a captain is. My encounter nearly ended with my life.

The closest one to me is a gentle looking lady with a large black braid flowing down her chest. She smiles warmly as I study her. I notice that everyone is wearing a white coat.

"Welcome, young man." The woman says in a motherly voice. "I am captain Unohana of fourth squad."

"Hello." I wave shyly like an idiot and study the rest of them. They look like monsters. In fact, some of them are! A man at the back is twice as tall as everyone else. His shoulders are so broad he would be able to stretch his arms around the front of a hummer. The strangest thing though, is the fact that his face is furry. His nose is a little black circle at the point of his long snout. His large whiskers shine in the sunlight. He smiles, revealing sharp teeth that could easily tear through me.

He notices my shocked gaze and he sighs. "Do not fear me, I mean no harm to you or any ally of the Soul Society." It brings a slight relief, but not much.

I study the next captain, a small man with a white lab coat. He is wearing a pharaoh's headdress and his face is covered in something similar to corpse paint. I feel like screaming out a line from a black metal song, but refrain from doing so. He glares at me with large eyes. His grin is unnerving as he has no lips, his teeth in full view. He is silent, so I ignore him and look to the next.

He is an elderly looking man with long flowing grey hair. Rukia is standing beside him and I smile when I see her. The man waves at me and chuckles. "You must be Alex; we have heard good things about you." The man next to him steps forward, a sharp-toothed grin on his scarred face.

"Yeah! Word is you've killed a few of these guys already!" His hair is in tall individual spikes which end in tiny bells. His coat is torn. He is taller than most of the others, except for the wolf-man.

"Don't even think about it Zaraki!" A small woman growled from across the room. She had short black hair and small brown eyes. She looks quite aggressive, despite her small stature, but the man beside her is even smaller.

At first I thought he was a dwarf, but I realise he's a kid. He only looks a few years younger than me, but he's probably still over a hundred years old. He studies me as I do the same to him. We both keep our mouths shut.

I want to check out the others, but the sharp clang of a cane on wood disrupts me. I stare at the man at the very front of the room. He is in the centre of the two lines of captains. His face is scarred and his eyes are closed. His grey beard is so long it reaches the floor, coiling up like a snake beneath his feet.

"Kisuke, you and your guest have caused enough disturbance. We shall resume the meeting." Urahara walks up beside the small woman who scolded Zaraki. I squeeze in next him so that I'm also next to Rukia. I'm so relieved that she's okay that I instinctively hug her. I stop when I feel a penetrating glare from across the hall. I turn and see a thin man with straight hair. His fringe is spiked and he has bangs over his face similar to Rukia's.

"What's wrong Kuchiki? Don't you like it when Rukia gets attention?" A man who appears to be in his middle ages speaks. He is wearing a pink poncho and a rice farmer's hat. He looks almost as strange as the clown or the wolf-man.

The ancient man at the front clears his throat and everyone goes silent. I release Rukia and focus on the man. He opened his mouth to speak when the door opens and Ichigo walks in. The man looks very irritated now, so Ichigo jumps onto the end of a line and listens intently.

"We all know that the enemy have decided to launch their attack in a month's time. We have time to formulate a proper plan. We shall send an advance squad to the World of the living as a safe guard for any sneak attacks in the mean time. The rest of us will prepare the troops and guard Sereitei in case of an attack. When the time comes, we shall unite and face them on a single front. The lieutenants will go first and take the brunt of the attack, and then the captains will step in and finish things."

Everyone nodded, except for me. "Excuse me, but that plan is a bit simple isn't it?" everyone around me went pale. I must have overstepped a mark with my comment.

"Then what do you suggest?" The old man challenged, one eye opening halfway.

"Well, we wait for them to arrive and send a small unit at them. A few captains and their assistants. Wait until the enemy focuses itself on them and then send in a second unit from behind them. The pincer attack will confuse and weaken them. While they are stuck between two walls of opponents, we hit them hard with a third unit, effectively surrounding and ambushing them." I grin when I'm finished and everyone stares at me.

"He's good." The grey haired man beside Rukia whispers.

"And I thought Hitsugaya was the special one!" The poncho-wearing man mutters pointing to the small kid beside him.

The group watch me and the commander, expecting something to be said by either one of us. The wrinkled old warrior grants their wish. "Your plan is quite clever, but dividing your forces is a bad choice."

"But the surprise of an ambush would distract them completely, making it easy. The first wave will be tough but it will be simple afterwards!" I explain.

Urahara places a hand on my shoulder. "The boy is right; their forces are almost equal to our own. We need something extra to give us the edge to gain victory."

"I shall think about it. Very well, you are dismissed." I turn to leave when I hear him call out. "Boy!"

I turn to face him. "My name is Alex!"

"Don't tread on the toes of your superiors! It will be a decision you regret!" His half opened eye glares at me.

"Uh-huh, bye." I say smugly as I walk off. Rukia waits outside for me and slams me into the wall.

"Are you crazy?! Do you want to die?! No-one talks like that to the captain commander!!"

"Well, I did and he took it well." I grin at her and she sighs, letting me go. I change the subject to make the awkward moment end. "The afterlife seems pretty interesting...Why is it like ancient Japan?"

"Soul Society does not evolve like places in the human world. It has stayed the same for centuries and it will be for centuries more."

"So, will we head back to the real world? The people here are creeping me out." I look around nervously, expecting one of them to jump out of the shadows and attack me.

"They are a strange bunch, but they are the world's most powerful defenders. Without them, hollows would have taken control of your world and killed everyone years ago." Her speech makes me shudder. We walk out of the corridor and Ichigo joins us.

"You just keep popping up, don't you?" He scowled at me.

"Hey, what's with the look?! I didn't do anything!" I defend myself.

"I know what's really going on between you two!" He growled. He then stormed off.

"That was odd..." Rukia watched him until he was gone, then we continued on through the winding corridors. She explained more about this place and how it was run, who the captains were, who was trustworthy amongst them. I listened to her every word, taking it in better than the first talk about the afterlife. At the end, she paused and squinted at me. "There's something different about you..."

"Like what?" I ask nervously, assuming my eyes might have gone red again.

"I don't know, it's just...don't worry!" She resumes walking and we step into the courtyard. The grey haired captain waves us over to him and we stroll over to him.

"Alex, I have heard much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Captain Jushiro Ukitake, of 13th squad. Rukia is one of my subordinates." Rukia smiles sweetly as he rustles her hair. "It's great to see she's made such a good friend."

"Thank you sir." I mumble awkwardly, I don't know how to properly behave around captains. I think it's obvious enough, because he laughs and pats my shoulder.

"Do not worry. I am a friend first and a captain second. You can call me whatever you like!"

"Okay...Ukitake-san." I remember the honorific from an anime series I watched a while ago. He grins and then nods at the gate.

"Enjoy your spare time while it lasts. Forget about your duties and have fun!" We nod and jog off out of the first squad's barracks. We turn around a corner and I bump into something large. I bounce off of whatever it is and I stare at a large figure which is veiled in shadow.

"Hey kid! Show me you strength! I want to see how good you are for a rookie!" I recognise his voice. He's Zaraki, the vicious looking man from the meeting. I back away from him and he grins. "Scared huh? How pathetic!"

"I...I don't want to fight you..." I stammer, catching sight of the blade in his hand. It's edge has been eaten away by decades of battles leaving it as a jagged, uneven serrated blade.

"Damn punk! Get out of my sight! You aren't worth my time!" Rukia grabs my sleeve and we run. We leap down the stairs, jumping over a dozen at a time. It still takes a long time to get to the bottom.

"What's wrong with that guy?!" I ask, breathlessly.

"He's the most bloodthirsty captain in the whole Gotei Thirteen! His name is Kenpachi Zaraki. Kenpachi is the title given to the most powerful warrior, who has slain the most enemies." The explanation makes me shudder. That monster wanted to fight me! I wouldn't have lasted ten seconds against such a man!

"Thank god he's on our side!"

"Damn right! No-one has ever beaten him and only one has come to a draw."

"Who?"

Rukia gazes at me with a serious expression. "Ichigo." I almost collapse. I knew Ichigo was strong, but he must be near invincible to fight Zaraki to a draw!

"Maybe we should go back to the real world...this place is strange." I look around nervously, expecting another strong person to try and get me to fight them.

"After a hundred years you get used to it!" Rukia said.

"That doesn't help much." I murmur and then we both laugh. We come across Urahara, Ichigo and a trio of shinigami. They have set up the portal for our return trip. Ichigo glares at me when I come near him and I fear his strength. I don't want to get on his bad side, but it seems every second I spend with Rukia is making him madder.

We step into the portal and begin running through the decaying world that I passed through on the way here. We don't have to race the blinding light this time so we jog leisurely.

"Not the best place for a date..." I say, nudging Rukia with my elbow. We both laugh and Ichigo shoots me an aggressive glare. Part of me wants to test his patience, but I drown it with m thoughts. We eventually end up back in Urahara's underground desert. Rukia return to their human forms. Ichigo is wearing a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt. Rukia is wearing a blue dress with a floral print on the hem. She goes red when she notices the ladder.

"Don't worry, we won't look!" I reassure her. It's blatant lie, but she takes the bait and begrudgingly begins her ascent. I go next, my eyes naturally venturing up her dress. I think I may be too obvious, as I can hear Ichigo growling. I ignore him and continue to stare...only to lose my concentration and slip.

I yelp and reach out for the nearest handhold, accidentally grabbing Rukia's ankle. My weight drags her down and the others back up a bit. My free hand swings out to grab a rung, but I accidentally drag her down. She slips and she sits on my face. I can literally hear Ichigo boiling over. I make no attempt to move, I'm happy where I am right now. I could spend the whole month like this if I could. Ichigo grabs my ankle and drags me away from her. Rukia hurries up the ladder and I slowly follow, being more careful this time. I feel Ichigo's gaze burning into my back, it is not comfortable. When we reach the top I look to Rukia and chuckle. I want to say a joke, but a fist slams into my jaw and I drop like a bag of rocks.

"You fucking jerk! Use your head next time! And stay away from Rukia!" It's definitely Ichigo, damn, he'd make a good boxer. "Come on Rukia, let's go!"

She kneels down beside me and checks I'm alright.

"Come on!" Ichigo demands.

"No. I'm living with Alex now." Rukia speaks defiantly and I feel so awkward I could cry, but I can't, my mind is focused on the pain in my face.

"What?!" Ichigo asks in his defeated voice.

"Alex's place has lots of room; I can sleep in a bed instead of a cupboard there." Rukia explains. Ichigo's face turns ashen. I feel like such an asshole, but also victorious. I've probably lost Ichigo as a friend, but I gained Rukia. It balances out...hopefully.

"Bye Rukia..." Ichigo mumbles, his head bowed. When he passes me he glares with such contempt it makes me feel sick. Also...I think his eyes glow yellow! He says nothing to me, just walking off. I sigh when he leaves.

*****

We return to my apartment, immediately sinking into the couch. Rukia is relaxed, but I sit up straight, my mind elsewhere.

"What's wrong?" Rukia notices my distress.

"Ichigo's really pissed. I think he hates me!" I frown and look at my feet.

"Oh, he thinks he owns me, but I am an independent person! I can choose to live wherever I want...and I want to live here." She grasps my hand and squeezes it, but I don't return the gesture.

"Ichigo was my friend...I feel like I've betrayed him..."

"You haven't done anything to him. He's just angry because I've become such good friends with you and haven't been spending time with him. He's actually been pretty selfish lately." Her words make me feel a little better.

I sigh and gaze at her with a smirk on my face. "Sky blue."

"Hmm?" Rukia cocks her head. I simply gaze at her in silence for twenty seconds and then she blushes. "You bastard!! You said you wouldn't look!" She slams a pillow into my face and I roll away from her attacks. I begin to laugh so hard that my ribs hurt.

We spend the rest of the day resting. We fall asleep early, in each others arms on our single bed.

*****

I wake up and walk like a zombie towards a calendar on the wall. I've already written things on it. I've placed the day of the war on the last day, drawing flames and writing 'WAR' in big capital letters. There are thirty days until then and this is the first one. I cross it off and sigh. I still can't cook for shit, and Rukia is no Masterchef, so we head out to find a take out place that hasn't been attacked.

We find a fish and chip shop and order two burgers. We sit outside against the window while we wait. We watch people walk past and sigh.

"We have school today right?" I turn to Rukia who looks terrified. She nods and we realise we are in casual clothes. When our burgers are made we snatch them and sprint down the street back to the apartment. We hurriedly get dressed and stuff our faces as we run to school. We both feel sick by the time we arrive. We hunch over and struggle to go up the stairs to our classroom. When we enter, the class falls silent and stares at us.

"So nice of you to join us...only half an hour late." Ms Oichi mutters sarcastically. We take our seats and she brags on about some war. I half listen, looking around the room. Chad, Orihime and that other kid are missing. They must still be healing. Tatsuke has a relieved look on her face. It's not surprising since she originally thought Ichigo and Rukia had died.

Ichigo glares at me. I don't look at him; I can't bring myself to do so...

"Alex, hey Alex! Wake up!" My eyes widen and I notice Ms Oichi standing next to my desk. "What's the answer?"

"Um..." I look around at the other students and then at the teacher. "Pearl Harbour?" I mutter. The class gasps and the teacher stares at me.

"Wow...you can learn...you looked spaced out, but I guess I was wrong..." She returns to her desk and resumes teaching.

Tatsuke leans over her desk and punches my arm. "Good guess!"

"Yeah. A lucky break." I whisper. Thankfully, I don't need to guess randomly for the rest of the day and other kids have to do it for me, most of them getting it wrong. The day breezes by. It feels like normal...no hollows, no renegade shinigami, no missing limbs, and no wounds...just fun. I can finally relax and be my normal perverted self.

Unfortunately I have only one month...then this world will turn into a vision of hell...

The war is coming! How will each side spend it's last month before the impending conflict? Can we actually trust the word of our enemy? Are we really safe? Find out in the next chapter!

Please review!


	12. A Life Wasted

**12.**

Sorry it's been a while since the last update, but I'm still in the middle of several stories at once. I will try to update faster in the future. The lack of reviews is quite discouraging, so I urge you to please write a comment for the story, it won't take long and it's easy to do.

Its day nine already and I've done jack shit. For three days it was raining so much me and Rukia just stayed inside and watched crappy movies as an excuse to make out. The next day was too wet outside. We would have had to swim across a lake of rainwater to get anywhere. After that, it was too humid. The bi-polar weather lasted for a week and a half and here I am standing beside the calendar realising I haven't really done anything. This is my last month and I have done nothing!

I down a cup of coffee, one of the few things I can make well, but then again, I'm sure a seven year old could make it as well.

Rukia sneaks up behind me. She looks tired, so I make her a coffee. She drinks it in silence while I look out the window. "We've only got twenty-one days left...We should do something."

"Like what?" Rukia asks between gulps.

"Well, we...um..." I trail off, making it painfully obvious that I don't know much about Japan. "Is there anything you would like to do?" I ask.

"I'd like to relax." Rukia mutters.

"Well, that leads us nowhere then..." I slide down the wall and sigh. "Surely there is something we could do..."

"We could go to the beach?" Rukia suggested. "Aussies like the beach don't they?"

My eyes suddenly go wide and a beaming smile crosses my face. "You can read me like a book." Rukia smiles and I jump to my feet. I dig through my clothes to find a pair of black board shorts. I slip into them and start grabbing anything I assume I'll need.

Rukia looks down at her clothes drawer which is part of a chest of drawers. She rifles through and frowns. "I don't have a wet suit."

I only half listen, occupied trying to find some sunscreen. "What?"

"I said I have no beach clothes!" Rukia yells.

"Oh, um...I'm sure Orihime would let you borrow-"

"You know damn well that I can't fit into her clothes!" Rukia snaps.

I frown and look around as if a swim suit will magically appear out of nowhere. "Well, I can buy one...I have money."

"I don't want you to have to buy me that." Rukia whines.

"Well what else do you suggest?" I ask. She looks around and then shrugs. "I'll just give you some money to buy one on the way there."

"Okay. Say, have you mastered Shunpo yet?" Rukia stares at my confused expression and sighs. "Flash step." I still stare blankly. "Okay, I'll have to teach you that."

"Why now? We should go relax at the beach first."

"The beach is a two hour drive away." Rukia states simply. I nod and realise why the lesson must be taught. She taps lightly on my head with her little red glove and I enter shinigami mode. "Now, channel your reiatsu around your body and focus on a point in front of you." I do as asked, but fail to see how it will work. "Now, jump over to it."

I run three steps and curse before trying again.

"Remember, I said jump, not run!" Rukia instructs. I roll my eyes and tune out, focusing solely on a spot in the hall. I stare at it until my thoughts are empty, then close my eyes and jump. I open my eyes and I'm suddenly out in the hall. I had just moved half a dozen metres in one step! "Good. Now you have to try and go farther. Try again outside." I run outside like an excited child who has just received a new toy.

I focus on a rooftop twenty metres away and close my eyes. Again, I land in that spot and I clap and cheer until someone inside the building begins yelling. I return to my spot outside the apartment where Rukia is waiting.

"I did it!!!" I shout like a little boy who learned to ride a bike.

Rukia grins and holds her hand out. I stare inquisitively at her until she rubs two fingers together, signifying that she wants the money to buy a bathing suit. I smile arrogantly and flash step inside where I retrieve my wallet. I come back to her and hand her a few notes. She takes them and pats my shoulder.

"Be back in a minute!" She disappears seconds later and I sit on the front steps while I wait. When two minutes pass I sigh from boredom.

"Whatcha doing?" I turn around and face Orihime. She waves feebly at me as she skips out into the front yard. "It's such a nice day today! Much better than all those rainy storms!" She pouts at the mention of the stormy weather.

"We're going to the beach. Wanna come with us?"

Orihime places a finger on her chin and frowns. "It's pretty far away isn't it?"

"Yeah, but we're going to use Shunpo to get there!" I smile confidently.

"Oh...I can't do that..." Orihime frowns and looks to the ground, saddened at being left out.

"Hey! Don't be upset! I'm sure I can...I could probably carry you?" I mutter. Orihime get's a gleam in her eyes and she get's down on one knee.

"Would you really? Just for me?"

"Sure..." I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Okay! Wait here!!" She runs back inside and I over hear loud yelling inside. It's Orihime, but I can't tell what she's saying.

"Who's that?" Rukia asks, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. I yelp from the startling entrance and then whirl about and glare at her.

"Don't sneak up on me! It's Orihime, she's coming too." Rukia opens her mouth to speak but I answer her question before it is even asked. "I'll carry her." Rukia nods and then holds up a frilly two piece with a rabbit emblazoned on it.

"Isn't it cute?" She asks.

"It looks like something a little kid would wear..."

Rukia begins to blush and looks down. "It's the only size I fit into..." She sounds ashamed of her small stature.

"Don't worry its fine!" I rub her shoulder and her smile returns. "So...is anyone else going to go?"

"Well, we haven't asked anyone." Rukia says with sarcasm.

I frown and shrug. "Oh well."

Orihime skips outside in a yellow bikini. I stare at her for a while until I snap out of the hypnotic spell. I turn around and she jumps on my back. I loop my arms around her legs and she hugs my neck. I give her a piggy-back ride until I try Shunpo, managing to cross a whole block in one step. Orihime squeals delightedly as she watches the world flash by. Rukia leads the way, a few metres ahead.

As I move, I notice Orihime's breasts bouncing on my head. I lose concentration and I stop. I curse under my breath and focus on a farther spot to make up for my delay. Fortunately it works and I cross twice my normal distance.

Ten minutes of Shunpo later, we arrive at the beach, although I'm exhausted. I collapse into the sand while the girls run off into the water. I stare at the clouds, but it brings bad thoughts as a few of the clouds resemble those I have slain, or those who tried to slay me.

I become lost in my visions in the clouds and suddenly the world around me is incomprehensible. My eyes are glued to the fluffy white shapes. They begin to merge and break apart until the form something...something like words...the words '21 days to go'. I blink and suddenly they are gone. Irritated by my minds tricks, I decide to calm down with a short swim.

I sprint into the water and swim out to where a set of waves is breaking. I ride one back to shore and go back out again, eventually meeting up with Rukia and Orihime. Both seem bewildered by the ocean, but they live so far from the beach, it must be like a holiday for them. I gaze at them sympathetically, but they notice my sad face.

"What's wrong?" Orihime asks.

"Nothing it's just...It reminds me of Australia...It's so great." The two girls smile and go off, diving under waves and frolicking about. For the majority of the time, I watch them. I wouldn't be able to see them die. It would tear me apart. We need to win this war no matter what and with minimal casualties.

A loud rumble distracts me and I look into the great wall of water that is right above me. Before I can duck under it, the huge wave knocks me off of my feet and sends me hurtling through the water, landing on the sandbank below. I rise back to the surface and cough and splutter. Rukia and Orihime are laughing, a sweet chorus that makes me smile, ignoring the fact that the salt water is stinging my eyes and flowing down my throat. I cough again and dive under the next wave. I struggle to concentrate on the waves; my thoughts continue to drift off like seaweed in a strong current.

We stay in the water for some time, coming out when it is late afternoon. We are so exhausted we collapse in the sand and watch the evening sun begin to retreat behind the clouds.

"Such a beautiful sunset..." I mutter. "I hope we all live to see another." My two companions nod and we watch it for another ten minutes before heading home.

I travel in silence, half concentrating on my Shunpo, and half concentrating on the war to come. There is only three weeks remaining, yet I can't find anything to distract me from my growing dread.

*****

Its day twenty. It's been ten days since our beach trip. Ever since, the weather has been shit again. We managed to go to the zoo one day (Rukia was begging me to ride a kangaroo, but some more half-assed lies fixed her up) and also to a small club on another day. We had a nice meal and watched some local bands perform. The rest of the time was spent at home, alone with the thoughts of impending doom and everything that would be left behind...

Today was better than the last week. The sun is once again shining. We had made plans to go to school today and say goodbye to everyone. It would be awkward, but it had to be done.

We got dressed in our uniforms almost ceremoniously and headed off. The walk was disturbingly quiet. Not only did we not make any noise, but the streets themselves were silent. The roads were empty, the paths not cluttered with children, roadside shops were not crammed full of commuters...it was as if the street was dead.

We eventually met up with Tatsuke and Ichigo. Ichigo wore his sour expression like always. He said nothing as he joined our group. Tatsuke and Orihime chatted excitedly. Everyone else just listened distractedly.

The classes breezed by. I don't know many of the student's well enough, but I give my farewells to Keigo and Mizuiro, resulting in a confused glare from the two. When Ichigo did the same, they felt even more awkward.

Rukia and Orihime said goodbye to the girls, even though they were unsure why, their friends still cried. It felt like a funeral, only in advance. I imagine myself being carted into a casket and buried deep within the earth, trapped in a world of darkness and the faces of my enemies. I shudder and discard the thought.

When we are finished, the bell rings. We gather everyone in one place and enjoy what could be our final moments with them.

*****

It is now day twenty-seven. For the most part, we have been frantically fighting hollows. They have been occurring in huge numbers, most likely a precursor to what will soon occur. The month feels wasted. We have done little in our time spared. I have been too distracted to truly enjoy myself and I have had been sitting in-doors or fighting for the rest of the time.

I see only one upside to this and that is the experience I have received from fighting the hollows. I have been practising my techniques on them, from Shunpo, to my shikai's powers. I have not tried hollowfying, heeding Urahara's warning. He seemed terrified of my hollow powers, but I hope his assumptions are not correct. If my previous battles are anything to go by, then I need those powers to survive this onslaught.

On the subject of Urahara, he has disappeared. He went back to Soul Society and is waiting for the battle to start. Every now and then, a shinigami task force will pop up to dispatch hollows and check on things.

The preparations are under way and I find myself wondering what the enemy is planning. They set the time limit, was there a valid reason? Was it part of their plan? Or is it just a coincidence? I don't know the answer, but I know that soon the answer will be clear.

After defeating a trio of large hollows, I return to my place and sink into the couch, watching the television, barely paying attention to the flashing lights and sounds. I feel terrible. I skip dinner and remain quiet for the rest of the night. I can't even bring myself to get up off the couch. I sleep there under the concerned gaze of Rukia.

*****

The next few days pass without anything happening. I feel too depressed to even get up. I sleep until midday and then eat a small meal before retiring back to the couch. I've done nothing but that for three days. It's the final day now...the last day of the month.

The clock on the wall reads twelve o'clock. Rukia is drinking tea, sitting on a one-seater next to me. I look to her with tired eyes. She is worried, not only about what is to be, but my wellbeing.

"Alex...Why are you doing this? I'm feeling terrible as well, but this is scaring me now. Can't you please get up?"

"Might as well..." I mutter. "I'll die on my feet." I stand and Rukia immediately hugs me. She is shaking and I can hear her weeping. It doesn't brighten my mood. I feel worse than before.

"Do you want to do anything?" Rukia asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "I had one plan in mind..."

"What?"

"We wait." I say sombrely. "We'll stay here and make the most of our time together." Rukia smiles weakly and we sit together on the couch. For several hours we just talk, telling the tale of our lives, getting to know each other even more. We tell each other our past lives, our secrets, everything we can think of. When we finish, we look out the window and frown. Night has already fallen. In a matter of hours, the world will end.

It feels like I've wasted my life. I stare at the ground and sigh.

Our fears are falsely confided in each other as we cling to the other, watching and waiting. Most would assume it is hard to sleep in such a situation, but I struggle to stay awake. My inner thoughts are enticing me to enter the world of slumber, but I keep myself alert for as long as I can. I take one last glance at the clock and see the both hands cross over the number eleven. Usually I can stay awake much longer, but with fear comes weariness. My eyelids drift lazily, my eyes struggling to focus. My head rolls against Rukia's neck and I fall asleep in her arms and her in mine...

Thankfully, my last night ends well, but tomorrow, hell will come to Karakura town.

The war is about to begin! you mustn't miss it! Don't miss the next thrilling instalment!

I will try and update faster, rather than leaving you with cliffhangers for long periods of time. 

_**PLEASE REVIEW!!**_


	13. All Out War

**13.**

I wake up to the feeling of Rukia clutching me tighter than she has ever done before. I look out the window expecting the world to be in ruins, but it seems there is still time before that happens.

"Today..." Rukia murmurs. "It begins..."

I reluctantly shy away from her and down a steaming cup of coffee in one bitter mouthful. Without a word, I find Rukia's little red glove and press it into my forehead. I stare at myself dressed in samurai clothes with a sword at my side. As a child I always dreamed of becoming a samurai, despite them being ancient history. Right now, I wish I never even heard the name. I wish I never knew anything about Japan, never came here, never got drawn into this strange world which will subsequently end my life...I regret almost everything until I catch Rukia in the corner of my eye.

I gulp in a mouthful of air and force a brave face as I head outside, ahead of Rukia. I can sense Urahara and Ichigo elsewhere. I sigh and close my eyes, waiting for the moment of reckoning. When my eyes re-open it begins.

The sky itself cracks and splits, revealing a dark abyss from which the most evil of beasts emerge. More hollows than I have ever seen begin to spill out into the world of the living. The unified reiatsu of the hollows is mighty, but it is nothing compared to those who are walking calmly out into the air from a smaller portal.

I remember Yuki and One from previous battles, but a mix of new faces are in the group as well.

My arm trembles as it grips my sword, but a hand grips mine and it stabilises.

"Do not show fear." Rukia says stoically. "We fight till we win, or we die proud! If we never meet again, know that I cherished our friendship." I want to something in return, but my throat is clenched shut as if caught in a vice.

I whisper the release phrase and Ryo No Shugojin reveals his Shikai. I stare at my reflection in the blade, thinking of the blood that will stain not only this sword, but my hands and my soul. I close my eyes and walk slowly towards the oncoming hollows. I don't want to waste my energy fighting these beasts, but I must use something to get rid of a few of them.

I jab my sword into the ground and growl the words "Daku torunedo!" A black gust of wind bursts out of nowhere and forms a formidably sized tornado of crackling energy and high powered air. I point my sword towards the hollows and the twister shoots off into them, taking with it, many masked monsters before blinking out of existence.

I charge up to the hollows and then leap over them landing in mid-air, closer to the real enemy. Yuki flash-steps over to me and grins.

"I remember you. The boy who tore Piero to shreds! I hope this is as fun as I think it will!" He takes out his deceptive double ended sword and twirls it around over his head like a helicopter blade. I stare at it, not wanting to take my eyes off of the weapon. He throws it and it still spins as it flies through the air towards me. I concentrate and thrust my blade at it with equal force, essentially blocking it. It throws me back, but does not hurt me.

"Please tell me that was all, I really don't want to fight any harder." I actually mean those words.

Yuki laughs and catches his weapon. "Unfortunately for you, I am much stronger than Piero...and Two for that matter. Both of those were low ranking officers, but I am an assistant captain!"

"Only an assistant captain? Good. No surprises then." I unleash a Moretsu Na Kaze at him to gauge his strength. He flash steps away from it rather than guarding, but it does not matter. It proves his skill in the end anyway. I decide to keep my Shunpo a secret for now; it may be the ace up my sleeve that will defeat him. I charge at him and he meets me head on, striking at my side, only for his blade to be blocked. I slash wildly at him, but he either evades or blocks them all. He then begins a similar assault, but I struggle, getting caught several times, though they are only minor wounds.

I find myself staring at the blood trickling down my arms. I know taking my eye off my opponent is bad, but I can't hep but look. I end up paying for it, as Yuki kicks me with bone-crushing force right in the stomach. I cough up blood and fall from the sky, landing on the roof of a small house, which crumbles, making me fall to the floor inside.

"Come out, boy! I know you are not dead!"

I curse and struggle to get up. I attempt to stand for the third time, but fall once more. I lie on the floor and release another furious breeze, this time catching him off guard. He manages to block it, but it gives him a shock. I send another three after him and he blocks two of them before flash stepping onto the tip of the crater in the roof. He stares down at me with a cruel smile.

"Hello there." He says, twirling his blade like a helicopter spinner.

I lean against a piece of wooden rubble and lift myself into a weak standing position. I need to end this quickly before I die. I close my eyes and sigh.

"Oh, are you bored of living? I can help you then!" Yuki tenses, preparing to strike. I stare him down. He charges. I know where he will strike. I know where he will land. More importantly, I know how to beat him! Yuki draws nearer. I concentrate as hard as I can and then...

'Clang'

Yuki's blade goes through a piece of wood and hits a steel appliance behind it. Yuki stares at the empty area which was supposed to be my grave. I reappear behind him and swiftly drive my sword through his heart. The tip of the blade juts out from his chest and he tries to speak, only to release a bubbly foaming mix of saliva and blood.

"Surprise." I mutter cockily. "I can't afford to waste time and strength on you. I have a more urgent task to do."

"Bas...Tard!" Yuki rasps. He raises a hand and his blades begin to hover above me. I watch his hands. He flicks his wrist and I flash step away from him, leaving his blades to finish him off. He dies by his own hand and I leave the corpse for the flies as I climb out of the wreckage.

I notice Rukia in the distance, fending off against hollows. The Urahara shop staff are fighting them too, but their leader is nowhere to be seen.

The members of the 'Nakazora no Kokoro no Guntai' Are still standing still in the middle of the sky. They spot me and suddenly they disperse. I tense and try to focus, but the looming threat of so many attackers makes me nervous.

"Hello, Alex." I whirl around and face Beth. She's standing at the foot of their army with her cutlass in hand.

"Beth!" I growl her name and she smiles. "You know my name? How nice. Well, we don't have time to talk, let's fight!" She disappears and I spin around in time to block her attack. "You may have blocked me, but what about the others?" My eyes widen and I look over my shoulder as the others charge. I feel death come close until...

'Ka-chink'

'Clang'

I open my eyes and study the figures that are blocking me from attack. They have fluttering white coats with Japanese numbers on them. I feel relieved at the appearance of reinforcements.

"Sorry we're late Alex." One of them apologises. He turns around and I recognise him. He's the little captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro.

The other captain is silent. He is focused on something in the distance. He wordlessly flash steps away from us.

"Byakuya! Where did you go?!" Hitsugaya curses. "Don't worry. There are some lieutenants on their way. They will bring the first wave."

"Thank for the help." I push Beth back and we stare each other down. We are interrupted by an oriental styled gate opening out of nowhere. Four lieutenants step out and engage the Hollow Hearts Army.

"Six men isn't much...What are you planning?" Beth cocks her head and notices something below. The sea of hollows splits apart and a huge pillar of yellow energy sprouts out of the hole. Mad laughter carries along the breeze until it reaches the ears of everyone present. Beth's eyes widen.

"Seven officers should be more than enough to take down your army!" Hitsugaya smiles confidently and swings his word down. A serpent made of ice and water soars out of the blade and hits one of the enemy officers. Judging by the way he deflects the blow, he is a captain.

One engages a man with a scarred face and spiky black hair. The two seem to be evenly matched from what I can see.

A buxom blonde from our side is fighting a red-haired girl.

A man who looks more like a Yakuza boss than a shinigami begins a duel with a wiry looking man with thinning grey hair.

A red-head with strangely tattooed eyebrows takes on an emaciated man with black dreadlocks that reach down to his lower back. His eyes are blank white and his skin is a dark shade of grey as if he's covered in dust.

I can sense Kenpachi down below, decimating the hollows. One of the captains soars down to fight him.

Beth giggles in a way that makes me forget she's a killing machine. "You really think that your puny little force will defeat us? Get ready for a surprise!"

"Maybe later. Right now, I want to get even with you!"

"Oh, but you can't hit me! I'm a girl!" Beth hides behind her cutlass and then laughs. Her expression hardens and she appears more serious now. "You can try!"

"I can and will!" I flash step to her defenceless side and she leaps over my sword thrust, landing on top of the blade. She toe-kicks my chin and sends me staggering back. She then charges at me, her sword in its scabbard. She want's to fight me with her bare hands. Part of me want's to make it fair and discard my sword, but I need extra power to defeat this seemingly harmless girl.

Beth drives a fist at my gut, but I block it with the flat of my blade. She uses Shunpo to catch me off guard and punches me in the back. I fall forward and she returns to my front to knee me in the face. I stagger about, dazed as she begins to pummel me. The humiliation of getting beaten by a girl begins to gnaw at me and an inner voice roars at me to kick her ass, but I am pretty much powerless unless...No! I can't use my hollow powers! Not yet!

"What's wrong? Done already?" Beth lets me collapse in a heap and fall to the ground again. "Don't worry, you aren't alone!" Beth waves a hand at a fight going on nearby. One has wrapped his opponent in his vine-like tentacles and is whipping him mercilessly, leaving deep cuts with every lashing. "Your shinigami friends were too cocky! They thought we could just be swept under the rug and forget about us, but we've hit them hard now! The world will soon know of our strength!!"

"No...You will be stopped!" I get on my hands and knees and attempt to stand up, but something goes through me. I look down and see Beth's hand, stained in blood, holding something. She lanced me so fast I didn't even notice. I fall again, only this time I can't stand back up. I grit my teeth and glare at my enemy.

"Poor kid...I thought you were cool." Beth mutters while waving around her bloodied cutlass.

"Why?!" I groan. The effort forces me to lie down. I can see up her skirt from this angle, but any perversion is blocked by the pain and fear.

"I would have let you live if you hadn't joined the ranks of the enemy. I wanted to be friends." Beth says in her sweet tone, but I won't buy it.

"Bull!" I grunt. "You don't care!"

"I do. I don't want to kill you, but I have to, for the sake of the plan."

"Plan?"

"To rule over the world of course. You won't join us, so we have to kill you, that's the plan. Crush all resistance." Beth flicks back her raven hair and I begin to wish that evil didn't have such a beautiful face. "I'll miss you." She bends down and kisses my cheek. To me, it's like acid on my cheeks, but for a moment, I feel no pain, then it returns tenfold. I roar in agony as my insides churn.

"Alex!" Hitsugaya comes to my aid and knocks Beth out of the way. He studies my wound and summons a hell butterfly. "Don't worry. Help is on the way!"

I want to thank him, but my throat clenches shut, possibly to stop myself from choking on my own blood which is rising.

Before I blink out into unconsciousness, I notice the flickering lights in the sky which turn into senkai gates.

*****

My eyelids flutter open lazily. I blink several times before gazing up at a grey haired woman with a concerned expression.

"Please stay still, I am not finished yet." She mutters the words almost fearfully. I notice a group of other shinigami rushing around.

"Where am I?"

"We're in a temporary infirmary. We have to move eventually before we are caught, but so far this area is safe." The woman frowns at a group to her left who are gathered around another fallen warrior.

"How are things?" I ask.

"We've already had casualties." The woman sighs. We sent in a large force of lower ranking shinigami to fight the hollows. Things were going well until...well something attacked them. We lost many and most of the rest are injured. We have sent the third seats to combat them now while the higher ranks face the main enemy."

"How are the captains?"

"They are still fighting. We still have reserve units of captains waiting in Sereitei. When the battle gets too heated, they will arrive to help.

I should be happy they are using my plan, but I'm too scared right now. I was near death before I passed out. It took such a short time before I had my ass handed to me. Both forces have faced serious damage, but I don't know who's winning right now.

I lay still while the healer finishes sealing up my wounds. She tells me that only two hours have passed. When I am able, I walk outside and find a large force of shinigami facing away from me. Hollows are trying to surge through the street and into the infirmary, but our troops are holding up well.

I slowly approach them and release several Moretsu Na kaze at the hollow ranks. They tear through the soulless white faces and destroy their front lines, allowing the shinigami to advance. They cheer in thanks and I depart, ready to fight again.

The battle is already becoming vicious! Both sides are on the offensive, But only the stronger side will succeed! but is the stronger side the shinigami...or the Hollow Hearts Army? 

Please review.


	14. Crushing The Thorns

**14.**

I destroy a rank of hollows and proceed after the nearest officer in the Hollow Hearts Army. I spot One. I know he is stronger than me, but he has already managed to take down two lieutenants in such a short time and he needs to be stopped. He notices me approaching and greets me with a sick smile.

"Alex! What a surprise! I thought Beth had killed you."

"I won't go down that easily!" I snarl.

"Good, that'll make this interesting then!" One summons the vines from his body and I tense. They shoot off at once and hit me with the force of a large truck. They throw me into a large building and I resurface out the farthest wall to plummet down to what would kill a normal human. I catch myself in mid air and duck under a swinging vine. When the vine passes I slice it off and charge towards their source.

One sends several vines at me and I roll away from one. The other grazes me on the arm, but it's not deep enough to kill. I hack at it and it drops uselessly to the ground. One summons more vines and I send a Moretsu Na Kaze at them. He forms a wall of thorny green tendrils which take the full impact of the blast. It fails to pass through them, but it destroys his offence and defence in one. He is defenceless now! I can kill him! I send a second blast of energy rich air at my opponent and...

Something deflects it. I stare in disbelief at the blade in One's hands. I thought his sword disappeared with his release, but it's there in his hands!

"You think I'd be so careless? You don't think much of me do you?" One twirls the sword around and chuckles. "You were beaten before because you underestimated your opponent. It seems it may be your downfall once again. Come! I shall show you the strength of a true warrior!"

I do as he says, charging blindly. I have a trick up my sleeve. I come within ten metres of him and then-

'Whoosh'

There is only empty space where I once was. I reappear behind One, but a vine shoots out and sends me sprawling on the roof of a house.

"So you learned Shunpo. That alone won't save you! That flash step was amateur. You have not seen an expert's Shunpo! Behold!" One disappears halfway through his last word. My eyes widen and I look around nervously. He doesn't show up for a whole minute, leaving me paranoid of a sudden attack. I wait for another two minutes before deciding he has definitely gone. I hop down from the roof top and try to search for Rukia. I can see a pillar of ice in the distance and realise it's Rukia's reiatsu. I set off for my new destination and cover good ground before I trip on something. I fall on my face and turn to look at what made me fall.

It's a vine.

"Shit!" I roll away from a trio of thorny weapons and then flash step away from another set. One is nowhere in sight. The vines are coming form every direction, so it's impossible to determine where he is. I slash wildly in a feeble defence.

"Pathetic. I'll end this sad little game now." A vine comes from above and hits me in the face the thorns scratch me lightly, but the force behind the hit knocks me down. I am caught in mid-air by another vine which slithers around my body like a snake. The grip tightens until the thorns are digging into me.

"Oh my...this is the end. You are a difficult bug to crush, but even the fastest cockroach can be caught."

"Bastard!" I refrain from squirming, realising it will only hurt me more. All I can do is sit still and think. I need a plan, but I have no idea how to escape this prison of thorns and skeletal green tentacles.

"Say farewell to the world, Alex." One draws his blade and it sprouts hundreds of vines, all covered in viciously serrated thorns. The all fly off, all aimed for me. I have no time to think, no time to act. It's going to be over in a matter of seconds. I close my eyes and wait for my death, but it fails to be delivered. I feel an intense reiatsu and hear a deafening explosion which hurls me into the ground. I open my eyes and notice the crater I am in.

I blink several times and look around anxiously. I need to find the person who saved me. I notice a dark figure clad in black. He is standing at the foot of the crater. I stare at the jet black katana in his grip. Even the shadows cannot hide his vibrantly coloured hair. The orange spikes look like fire in the light and I feel so relieved to see him. His expression is still aggressive, but One is not dead yet, so that explains it. One rises sluggishly and curses.

"What on earth was that?!" One looks up to Ichigo and growls. "Who are you?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki. The last name you will ever hear!" His confidence is infectious. I suddenly feel stronger.

One laughs at the boastful claim, but Ichigo is serious.

"That was a lucky shot! I won't let it happen again!" One disappears and begins to circle around Ichigo with insane speed. He creates mirages of himself as he continues to flash step around his opponent. Ichigo lowers his head and sighs. "What's wrong shinigami? Can't you find me?!"

"Actually..." Ichigo hooks his hands over his face and drags them across swiftly. "...I can!" Ichigo strikes once and his blade hits dead on. It connects with One's shoulder and goes down to his thigh. The cut is very deep and blood gushes from him in bucket loads. One drops like a fly and the battle is over. I can't believe how quickly he killed him. Ichigo is immensely strong, but I have no idea what he just did.

Ichigo looks over his shoulder to see me and I almost scream. His face is covered by the ceramic white mask of a hollow. Yellow eyes consider me for a moment and then he turns away.

"Ichigo...what did you do?!" Rather than answer, he vanishes. I run after him, but run out of breath before long. I am closer to the icy spire. It's only a few hundred metres away. I should be able to make it in a few flash steps. I travel half of the distance in two steps and then have a short rest.

While I take five, two duelling warriors fall at my feet. Both seemed to have knocked the other down and as soon as they land they return to exchanging strikes. An old man with black ringed eyes and a long grey moustache is fending off Captain Kyouraku, the one with the rice hat. His pink poncho has been torn to shreds and his white coat has also suffered some damage. Both are fighting furiously despite them both being breathless.

I run away from their battle before it gets too heated and head for Rukia's location. I hear screams around me and loud thuds and explosions accompanied by the clanging of steel against steel. It is a horrible chorus of war and it makes me shudder. As a kid the thought of a large scale battle with monsters and samurai would have excited me, but actually experiencing it makes me afraid. The hollows are pushing the shinigami back and the captains present are locked in gritty duels.

We have taken down two of their officers, but they have taken more. Two lieutenants whom I never met and three third seats have fallen. Our body count has risen above theirs and we desperately need to even things up.

I arrive at the icy pillar which touches the clouds. I stare up at the magnificent structure. Inside are hundreds of hollows and one of the Hollow hearts officers. I feel almost sympathetic for the poor foe trapped in the icy prison, his face a portrait of eternal pain. I sigh and slice through the column, severing the man's head and ending his torment. The collapsing ice rains down and crushes forces from both sides. I wince at the damage I create, but someone behind me is laughing.

"Excellent! You not only killed your enemy, but you took down your allies just for standing in the way! We may be more alike than I thought!" I turn slowly, expecting one of my enemies, but it is that captain from the meeting. The one with the stakes of hair and a fanged smile. His one uncovered eye is wide and his scarred face is stretched from his large smile. It is none other than Kenpachi Zaraki, the most ruthless beast to ever fight for Soul society.

The thought of being like him makes me feel sick. His laughter makes me flinch.

"Do not be afraid! I won't kill you...yet! HA HA HA HA!!!" He runs off to slay a wave of hollows leaving me alone to consider his words. The worst part is that he may not have been lying! I run off, not wanting to fight alongside such a brute. I eventually run into Urahara.

The blonde captain has discarded his hat and clogs and is now wearing the clothes of a captain. I can't help but smile as he knocks two young girls out of the air. The two Goth girls look like twins. One has blue hair, the other red. Their eye colours are the opposite of their hair. Both carry little rapiers.

Urahara kicks one into the dirt and throws the other into a nearby building. When both are temporarily subdued, he drops to my feet and grins.

"How are you?"

"Coping. Have you heard about the casualties?" Urahara's face falls at my reminder.

"They were brave to take on the captains...But it was a suicidal mission." Urahara sighs. "Suppose you're looking for Rukia?" I nod. "She's over there in the east. Orihime, Chad and Uryu are with her and one of the captains."

I say my thanks and wish him good luck. He laughs and sends a red blast into the building. Judging from the chilling scream, he has hit his target. I stop and wipe a tear from my eye.

"What is wrong with me? This is my enemy and I am feeling sorry for them!!" I slap myself and growl. "There is only hatred for my enemy!" I steel myself and go on. If a woman in pain will stop me, then I have no hope of defeating Beth. That is why I must leave my emotions behind for the rest of this battle. Only when my foe is dead can I return to my normal self...or at least try to.

I find the group in a large town square. They are accompanied by almost a whole squad who are all blocking a large mass of hollows from getting through. I send a Daku torunedo into the ranks of the hollows and it destroys their front lines. My powers are sufficient enough to kill hollows, so this shall be easy.

"Alex!" Rukia calls out excitedly. "I thought you were dead!" She leaves her post and runs to my side.

"I'm fine. How are you guys holding up?"

"We are also fine. We arrived just in time, it would seem." Ukitake, the kind-hearted man approaches me. His white hair sweeps behind him almost like a cape. He brandishes two oddly curved and very thin swords which are joined by a red chord from which small charms dangle.

"I'm glad of that then." I smile and watch as Chad sends a large blast of energy into the hollows, wiping them out. He and some of the shinigami pursue the fleeing hollows. Orihime and Uryu follow, but the bespectacled teen insists that she stay. She sighs and stands back while more shinigami charge off.

"We have defended this area well enough. The hollows will not come back here. We can set this as our new infirmary for a while." Ukitake summons a hell butterfly and whispers to it. The little black bug flutters off through the grey skies.

"How is the war going?" I ask. "How many officers are there left to defeat?"

"We aren't sure. It seems that there were more than we anticipated. We've taken down a good number of them, but there are more to come, plus there is the matter of that creature..."

"What creature?" I look around nervously as if it's about to strike right now.

"It must be one of their experiments. It is a gigantic hollow which can destroy a whole squad in one sweep of its arms! It has disappeared for now, but we cannot let it hit us again. We lost too many from its surprise attack!" Ukitake excuses himself and barks orders at the remaining shinigami in the square. They split up and disperse.

We wait ten minutes until the fourth squad arrives, placing down beds and setting up emergency areas. They then set down the patients and return to work. We leave them and go out from the square and into another open area...a children's park...the one where I first learned of Beth's murderous side. The memories make me clench my fists, but Rukia's gentle touch makes me calm.

"I'm glad you aren't hurt." She whispers.

"Same here." I mutter. I am distracted by the group of warriors in the park. There are three of them. One is Beth; the second is the man with the halberd, who fought Ichigo on that night. The other is a girl, only in her teens. She is squirming and screaming for some reason. I move closer and notice she is not wearing black like the others. She is wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. I squint at her, struggling to make out her face from a distance.

Rukia notices my distress and we nod to each other. We flash step over to them and arrive only a few metres away from them. A gap of ten metres is between us and from here I can see them clearly. My scream gets clogged in my throat when I see the face of the third person. The girl is panicking and sobbing. Her cloudy eyes are still recognizable, as with her dirt-smeared face.

"Ring a bell, kid?" Beth giggles.

I can barely form the word. I stare stupidly at her, my jaw dropped and my eyes wide. "A...A...Alex?"

Rukia looks to me with a confused look. I can't explain the story to her as my mouth is paralysed along with the rest of my body.

Alex shrieks when a blood-slick cutlass blade is placed over her throat. Beth giggles insanely and smiles in what the unsuspecting would consider sweet.

"Bitch!" I snarl, the word coming out like the bark from a rabid dog.

"Oh, that's not nice!" Beth karate chops Alex on the back of the neck. She drops to her knees and weeps. "Be nice or the girl will die!" The blade once again hovers over the innocent girl and I am forced to bite my tongue for now.

"Where is the boy?" The man asks. "I will kill him this time!"

"Calm down Kiba." Beth muttered. "He will come eventually. For now...I'm gonna play with my friends Alex and Alex." Her sickening grin returns to her face and I want to roar and claw at her face, but my body refuses to move out of fear that Alex will be hurt.

"What do you want?" I growl, my eyes lowered.

"I want you to kneel down and accept your death." Beth giggles afterwards making me cringe.

We are in a bit of strife now! Will we be able to defeat the Hollow Hearts Army? Or will they decimate our forces and take over the world, bringing death and destruction to all?! Find out in the next chapter!!

Please review, but no flames...if you flame, I will hunt you down and light you on fire!!


	15. Feelin' Hollow

**15.**

Beth giggles and gives her sinister smile. Her eyes flicker like tiny embers in the orbs of vision. "I want you to kneel down and accept your death!" She speaks as if it is the best choice, but the best choice would be to slice her in half and then run like hell with Alex and Rukia. Unfortunately, there is no opening I can make out. Beth is guarded by the hawk-eyed man, Kiba.

"Never." I whisper. Beth frowns at my refusal to lay down my life.

"Oh, too bad. I thought you liked this girl?" Beth draws her blade onto Alex's throat; the blade is touching her, but not cutting into her soft flesh. I feel my heart skip a beat and sweat drops down my forehead.

"Don't hurt her." I warn her, but it does nothing to sway the cold-hearted witch.

"Why not?" She whines like the schoolgirl any passer by would take her for. "You got to kill somebody! Why can't I return the favour?"

"Then fight me! Leave her and all the others out of it!" I draw my blade and catch my reflection in the blade. My face changes from fearful to aggressive every few seconds. My unstable demeanour makes Beth laugh.

"You don't seem very confident!"

"I don't. You have a good eye...It's a shame I'm gonna have to remove them!" I speak coldly and the words sink in. Beth's mouth quivers for a moment and it brings a smile to my face. "You don't look very confident yourself!"

"What?! Let's hear you say that after the fight!" Beth throws Alex into the hands of Kiba and charges at me. My simple little taunt seems to have worked her up well.

Our swords meet in a rain of sparks and Beth spits at me. "You arrogant little bastard! I'll crush you like the bug that you are!!"

"Shut your mouth!" I swing my sword out and throw her back a few metres. We gain our bearings and charge again, once more crossing blades.

"I'll kill you!" Beth uses unseen strength to throw me back this time. I charge for her, but she disappears. I block the cutlass before it slices through the back of my head and then spin around and kick out at my opponent. Beth leaps over me and swings her sword down, aiming for my skull. I flash step out of the way and hack at her side, but she uses her own Shunpo to avoid my strike.

"You've improved!" Beth beams. "I thought this would be effortless but you can actually fight now!" She grins evilly. "This will be fun!"

She flash steps to my left and feigns a strike. I ignore it and slash at her unprotected side, forcing her to make a hasty retreat to a safe distance. She scowls at me and comes back for another attack. This time, there is no deadlock, she merely hits again and again in a furious combination of mad slashes. I block the majority of them, but she becomes more frenzied with each attack, eventually launching an unreadable assault. I curse as her blade sinks into my upper arm and then block another strike aimed for my ribs. I watch her movements and notice an opening for her right hip. I hide my smile and avoid more hits, biding my time.

Beth howls madly, like a wolf over a big juicy meal. Unfortunately, this wolf will go home hungry. I jab my sword through the gap and stab her in the hip. Beth freezes and stares at the bleeding hole in her side. Her gaze then passes over to me, then back to the wound.

"Is this fun enough for you?" I smirk confidently. I haven't defeated her, but I've shaken her confidence, essentially weakening her.

Beth makes a high croaking noise and rubs a hand through the blood on her hip. She then brings it up to her face and here skin goes even paler than it already is. It's as if she has never seen blood before.

"What's wrong?" I ask, still tensed for a surprise attack. Beth does not answer so I repeat the question. Again, it goes unanswered. "Hey! Are you awake?! What are you doing?!" Beth still remains perfectly still with her gaze fixated on her own blood. My frustration kicks in and I clench my fists and yell at her. "Hey!! Answer me!! What is wrong with-?"

All of a sudden my stomach is burning. Beth is standing beside me, a fierce snarl on her face. The terrified image of a girl disintegrates and I realise what just happened. She flash stepped so fast that it kept a mirage of herself behind while she moved away. It is an ingenious trick, unfortunately it was against me.

"Damn!" I grasp my wounded side and swipe my sword at her. She hops back to a safe distance and then makes shapes with her hands while she whispers to herself.

"Alex! Get out of the way!" Rukia shrieks. I stare dumbfounded at her and she screams more and more. "She's going to use-" Her explanation is cut short when a large blue fireball explodes between us, sending us both to the ground. Before I can stand, another ball of blue fire shoots off towards me. I send a Moretsu Na Kaze at it and the two blasts explode on impact. The fireball dissipates and the only affect is a wave of hot air for a few seconds.

"You made me bleed!" Beth growls. "I will never forgive you!"

"Fine by me." I send two Moretsu Na Kaze at her and she dodges both. I send two more and she dives past one and send a blast of energy at the other. I curse and flash step behind her before firing off another furious breeze. I then flash step to a new spot and fire again. Beth dodges the first, but the second hits her like a wave at the beach, sending her hurtling through the air before slamming into a tree trunk. Her back is severely lacerated now and a huge gash is running up from her foot to her shoulder.

She struggles to get up and resorts to leaning against the shattered trunk behind her. She growls a deep note that would intimidate a lion and then wipes the blood from her clothes. She glares at me, her eyes revealing raw hatred. "YOU'RE DEAD!!!" She runs straight at me and I sigh. She did this at the start of our battle and it didn't work. Why would it work now?

Beth swings with such strength that even though I block it, it winds me and knocks me over. She stabs furiously at the ground as I roll about frantically. I flip up onto my feet and guard against a horizontal slash, but Beth flash steps behind me and drives her blade through my abdomen. We fight on for some time, though only she is landing hits now. I scratch her once or twice, my swords merely scraping her. She on the other hand is running me through her sword and hacking at my body.

After a vicious round of fighting, we both withdraw for a breather. I fall on one knee, my body covered in deep cuts and stab wounds. There is blood in my eyes and I can barely see. My hands are slick with blood and my grip on my swords is slipping. I have no choice. No matter what Urahara said, I need to use my full power. I need to use..._It_!

I wipe the bloody tears form my eyes and stare dazedly at my opponent. She won't last long against me with my full power, hopefully... I lazily drag my hand up to my face and hook only the top joints of my fingers, leaving the rest of the finger perfectly straight, something only a double jointed person could do. I place the oddly hooked fingers on my face and take a deep breath. I hesitate, but after another deep ragged breath, I realise it is necessary. There is no other way! I wrench my hand across my face and suddenly my body is surrounded by a dark red aura. At first it seems like nothing has happened, but then...

"!!!!"

It feels like I'm about to throw up. I regurgitate a white substance which wraps around my face and hardens into the ceramic mask of a hollow. My teeth grow and for a moment I go blind as my eyes change to the eyes of a hunter. My skin turns white as milk and my hands become more skeletal. My fingers end in wicked talons. I scream a high pitched scream that could crack glass and suddenly spines burst from my shoulder blades. I howl as the transformation takes place. It is strange...when Ichigo did this, only his hollow mask appeared. Maybe I'm not ready yet...

"What...The...Hell?!" Beth stares at me, wide eyed.

I growl at her, it sounds just like a hollows roar. I glance at Rukia. Her face reveals her fear. She is absolutely terrified. She cowers behind a large rock.

"!!!" I look at my reflection in my blade. My eyes are orange and look more serpentine than human. My mouth is gaping open due to the size of the fangs that now reside there. My actual mouth can be seen in the back of the dark abyss of the false mouth. I am a hollow...

"Interesting." Kiba mutters. "Are you sure you want to face him?" He addresses the question to Beth who shakes uncertainly.

"I...I don't...What is he?!" Beth looks to her companion and he closes his eyes and grins.

"Apparently he is a Vizard. I never thought I'd see such a weak boy become one."

"What is a Vizard?!" Beth yells.

"The masked army. They were another experiment banned by Soul Society. They are similar to us, bridging the gap between hollow and shinigami, though this method is more complete than ours." Kiba studies me curiously. "Though how such an inexperienced shinigami could attain such power is beyond me."

"Kill him." Beth whispers.

"Sorry?" Kiba leans closer and Beth points at me with her cutlass.

"I said, kill him! I shall rest for now." Beth flash stepped over to Alex and restrained her while Kiba took out his miniature halberd. I growl at him and he laughs.

"This will be interesting. I have always wanted to fight a vizard, but they disappeared many years ago and never heard of again."

I try to speak, but I can only manage an indecipherable roar.

"Let us begin!"

*****

I can barely comprehend what is going on. I feel like I'm slowly losing consciousness, yet my body is fighting at its peak abilities right now. I can't even see my own movements and I can't understand what my body will do until after it has happened. I feel like I'm watching a movie and my eyes are the lens. It feels like I am not even here.

Through the red haze of my vision, possibly blood, I can see Kiba. He is breathing raggedly and he is missing an arm. I did so much damage without even being aware.

Kiba yells something, but every noise is echoed for some reason so I cannot understand what he says. I feel my consciousness fading more and more, like a light slowly blinking out of existence. I need to get out of here. I need to return to normal. I need to be beaten back to my human form, but my opponent is unable to hurt me...

'Schluck-uck-uck' the echoed noise reminds me of something, but I am not sure. I glance down and see a gaping hole that is slowly refilling with white goo. I look up at Kiba who seems surprised.

It wasn't him...

The mysterious assailant strikes again and again and after five hits, I fall from the sky. I can barely comprehend the pain that should be stinging me all over right now. I slam into the ground and glare at the figure standing over me. In the distance I can see Kiba falling from the sky. I refocus on my new attacker and I struggle to interpret the face staring back at me.

The foe is wearing a mask like me. From behind the white ceramic mask, a few orange spikes of hair jut out. The yellow eyes glare at me and a black katana hovers over me in his strong grip. I roar at him and he drives the blade into my stomach, twisting it and making the wound larger. All of a sudden, the world turns black.

*****

I wake up in my subconscious. The barren world with its cracked peaks and molten lakes makes me feel out of place. I was in a children's park and now this! My evil clone is standing nearby. He is juggling the inverted coloured copy of my sword and is giggling to himself.

"Hey man!"

"What's this about?! You said you would help me! You lied you worthless son of a-"

"Hey! Without me, you would be six feet under right now! If you don't want my help, then you can just die on your own!"

"No! I'm going to get you to give me your powers without transforming me into a hollow!"

"Ha!"

"I know it can be done! You know it too, so do it!" I demand, though it seems to be in vain.

"Make me!" My twin growls.

I shrug my shoulders and draw my sword. "Fine!" I use Shunpo to arrive at his side and drive my knee into his spine. He falls forward and I slam the flat of my blade down on his skull. He swings his sword at me and I jump into the air to avoid it, but on my way down, he prepares another strike. I block the heavy slash but it hurls me back and I hit a large boulder with a force that makes it crumble around me. I fall through the raining chips of rock and grit my teeth as the pain sets in.

"You don't get it do ya?" The clone asks

"Get what?" I groan.

"If I win, your friend with the orange hair will be killed!" My eyes widen.

"You're lying!" I roar.

"This is how it always goes down." My twin explains. "While the individual fights his inner hollow, his body will put up a fight of its own. That means you have to hurry up and beat me before your hollow side will consume you and you will kill everyone around you...Friend and foe!" He vanishes and appears behind me. "And if I defeat you then you will die for real!" I roll away from his sword thrust and weight the gravity of the situation. I can only win and I have to do it fast, otherwise I will bring about the end of all those I loved and hated.

"Very well...How long do I have?" I ask calmly.

"About fifty minutes now." My twin smiles. "You better kick my ass or your dead meat!"

"Daku Torunedo!" I roar as I drive my sword into the dark soil. This attack finished things last time, so it should end them again this time. The black gust of wind builds up into a massive twister and then soars off for my opponent who is smiling confidently. He spins his sword in a circle above his head and then sends off a grey Daku Torunedo. The two walls of high pressured wind clash and explode kicking clouds of dust up over the battlefield.

I cough to clear my lungs of the gritty dust and barely notice the shadow of my opponent as he cuts through the clouds. He slashes at my stomach but I guard it and head butt him. His nose spurts blood and he staggers backwards. We cross blades a second time and He frees one arm to punch me in the face several times. I jump back but he flash steps behind me and thrusts his elbow into my back.

"I learned all your tricks! You won't surprise me this time!" My twin slashes me across the back and I howl in pain as I fall face first into the dirt. My clone stomps my face into the earth and I taste the ashen soil which leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I growl, incidentally forcing more dirt in my jaws and then jerk my head up, throwing my opponent off-balance. I roll onto my back and release a Moretsu Na Kaze which cuts into his body and throws him far off into a boulder. I limp after him and try to clear my mind.

"I don't need tricks to beat you! You may need them to defeat me, but I am stronger than you! Alone, we are weak, but together we can defeat all who threaten us. Join me and we shall end this war!" I extend my hand but my twin just tries to hack it off.

"Join you?! Ha! Over my dead body!" He spits black blood in my face and I wipe it away with a frown.

"So be it." I thrust my sword into his chest and twist it. My twin groans and grits his teeth. "I will ask one more time. Will you join me?" My twin opens his mouth to speak but I interrupt him. "Moretsu...Na...K-"

"Dammit! You win! Fine! I'd rather live to fight you again than to die."

"So you will do as I command?"

"I guess so..." I twist the blade more and he bites his tongue. "YES!!"

"That's better." I yank the blade out and my clone disintegrates and slowly the particles settle on my face.

*****

I awake in a hole. Ichigo is standing over me; his face now reverted back to normal.

"So...you beat him huh?" Ichigo asks disinterested. He walks away and approaches Rukia. I crawl up to the edge of the crater and watch as he tries to hug her. Rukia shies away and Ichigo frowns. "What are you doing?"

"You tried to kill him!!" Rukia yells, pointing to me. I look down at the ragged hole in my chest and the new cuts on my body.

"I had to or he was going to kill me!" Ichigo shouted in defence. "That is what happens when you fight your inner hollow!"

"I know...But when you were fighting..." Rukia stepped away from Ichigo. "Your killing intent was...Stronger than I have ever felt before."

Then everything went wrong…

What's this? Ichigo really hates me and apparently he desired to kill me! That isn't a good sign! What could go wrong? What is the fate of the shinigami, the Hollow Hearts Army and the entire world? Find out more in the next chapter!! Don't miss it!

Please review. I know a lot of you are reading this right now but are thinking of just ignoring it but don't. Help a fellow author out and write a review. You don't know how much it helps.


	16. It All Goes Wrong

**16.**

"Your killing intent was much stronger than I have ever felt before." Rukia said fearfully.

Ichigo fell silent.

"Ichigo..." I know it is a stupid thing to say, but I guess a proxy-intervention during the calm of battle will do us all some good. "...Why do you hate me so much?"

Ichigo shoots me a fierce glare and I feel my blood freeze. "Why?!" He asks as if it is the most insane question ever asked. "You stole everything from me!"

"What are you talking about?" I rush to my defence. "What did I ever take from you?" It dawns on me before he says it.

"Rukia...She was mine! We were the greatest of friends! Then you came along and she stopped talking to me and moved out to live with you! It's as if we never even knew each other now!! She was the best thing to happen to me and you drove her away and that is why I hate you!" He keeps yelling louder and louder. It seems that the hollows and even our allies are gathering around to watch the display.

"I'm sorry. I never realised she meant that much to you...but how do you know it was me who drew Rukia away? Maybe she just isn't that interested in you anymore?" I swear I can _feel _the silence that follows. I have struck a major nerve. Ichigo's fists clench and he bows his head. I'm glad I can't see the burning rage in his eyes because doubled with his fierce reiatsu, it could kill a man!

"You...You are going to pay for that!"

"I didn't mean it to come out like that!" I yell. "Anyway, if you care so much about her, why would you hate the person who saved her? Remember? You thanked me for protecting her during that hollow attack! Why have you suddenly changed?"

"You moron! I rescued her from execution!! I risked everything to save her when everyone gave up on her! All you did was hide her under the floorboards for an hour! You haven't done anything compared to me!!"

"It sounds like you are jealous." I mutter. "The Ichigo I knew wouldn't be so petty as to act like this!"

"You don't know me or anything I've been through!! YOU STUPID BASTARD!!!" Ichigo hits me harder than a train. I can't block the hit so he punches me with his full strength. I feel bones break and I soar into a building. People cry my name in shock and Ichigo becomes even madder. "Getsuga tensho!" I know what's coming and I flash step out of the way before the building is completely incinerated and blown apart. The shockwave knocks me out of the air and I land on the roof of a small cafe. I regain my bearing and scan the area for the enraged Ichigo.

Ichigo glares at me from atop a higher place and he flash steps down to me. He growls and roars as he slashes in all directions in a vicious combo. I am blinded by the constant rains of sparks and my arms hurt from taking the brunt of so many blows. I try to flee using Shunpo but Ichigo catches me in seconds. He truly outmatches me. I realise now why Ichigo fought the great Kenpachi Zaraki to a draw!

"Come on! You think you are so tough?! Fight back!!" Ichigo kicks me in the gut and I cough up blood. My ribs are broken and I can barely stand. I sluggishly swing my sword arm and shout, "Moretsu Na Kaze!" But the blast of air is swallowed by another moon fang. I barely dodge this one and an intense heat passes over me when it goes past. I release several more blasts of my own but Ichigo swats them away as if they were flies.

"That's it! I didn't want to use this but..." I hook my fingers at the top joint only and drag them across my face. "I have no choice!" A black aura envelops my face and all of a sudden a white, bony mask is attached to my head. I look in the reflection of my blade at my face. I have rams horns and a short snout, like a strange dragon I know all too well. Orange markings are on both cheeks and my forehead. I growl triumphantly and use my Shunpo. I move ten times faster now and even Ichigo is surprised. For a split second before I hit him, he snaps out of his rage to feel afraid. I slam the flat of my blade into the back of his head and he falls forward. I then axe kick him in the shoulder before flash-stepping away from a counter-attack.

"AARRRRRGHHHH!!! You Bastard! You stole my hollow powers too!" Ichigo charges up another Getsuga and I realise with growing dread that his reiatsu is only rising higher and higher. The giant black mass of energy shoots off and I instinctively release a Moretsu Na Kaze. I don't expect it to do much...but it decimates the moon fang and slices into Ichigo. I curse inwardly. I didn't want to harm Ichigo too much, but now I've screwed up. Ichigo will no doubt go insane now.

"If you stand down now, I will give you back everything I once took from you...I promise. How about it Kurosaki?"

"NEVER!!" Ichigo charges at me, suddenly with a hollow mask again. Our blades cross with a large spray of sparks an explosion of our battling reiatsu. The people watching our duel shield their faces from the massive dust cloud that sweeps down over them. Ichigo hacks at my through the dust cloud and I glare at his silhouette before jabbing my sword at it. Ichigo deflects the attack and flash steps behind me with amazing speed. Thankfully, my hollowfication has made me more alert and I block the attack before he hits me. We stare past each others crossed swords into the opponents inhuman eyes. The glowing orbs that stare at me are not Ichigo's...They are a hollows...Only thirsting for more blood and destruction.

"Why are you acting like this?" I ask in a distorted growl.

"I don't need to answer to you!" Ichigo roars before throwing me off guard and stabbing me in the side. I wrench the blade out of my body and then return a strike to Ichigo, hacking at his arm. My blade burrows into his flesh and he howls in agony. I should be regretting this, but...but I am _enjoying _it!! My inner hollow is relishing in the bloodshed and he does not care whether the blood on my hands is from a friend or foe. I want to apologise, but it sounds like a mixture of a throaty cough and a dog bark.

"Ichigo...If we keep going like this, one of us will die! Please stop this before we get too carried away?!" I beg but Ichigo merely laughs.

"Get on your knees and I'll consider it." I do as he says. I get on my knees and bow my head, clasping my hands together.

"Ichigo, I beg of you...Please end this before we do something we will regret for eternity."

"Okay then. I'll end this now!"

A part of me is pleased, but then I hear it. A loud, deafening song of murderous intent. It makes me wince and I become paralysed. The song puts me in a trance but it is suddenly cut short with a loud 'Clang'. I glance up at a foot which looks like any other. I continue to cast my gaze up to the black katana hovering inches from my head. Something stopped it just in time...a pure white katana...

"Rukia...?" Ichigo mutters.

I catch a glimpse of Rukia's face. She is crying, yet still retains a fierce look in her eyes. She looks betrayed, but that is understandable. Her heart has been broken. Thought it cannot be seen, it can be felt. I feel awful for somehow bringing this horrible set of events in motion, but I try to use Ichigo as a scapegoat. Surely there is something else going on...Ichigo would never overreact like this normally.

"You bastard..." Rukia whispers shakily. Ichigo's fierce reiatsu is making her whole body shake and her skin has paled. Just standing between us is making her ill. "You aren't the man I once knew...I don't know you anymore...and...and..." Rukia sniffs and wipes tears from her eyes. "I never want to see you again!!"

Ichigo almost dies on his feet. His soul leaves him and he nearly passes out. Those words hit him hard...really hard. "Wha...Huh?" He can't even form words. He stares wide eyed at his former love interest and makes strange hiccupping noises. His hollow mask smashes and the black drains from his eyes as if a plug has been pulled out. "You can't mean that?!"

"My friends wouldn't try and kill each other over some petty little argument! This isn't Ichigo!! This is some stupid obsessive little child! I hate you!!" Rukia glares at Ichigo and bravely stands her ground. Something bad is going to happen...I just know it!

Ichigo hyperventilates. He makes retching noises and doubles over. On-lookers shrug their shoulders, confused as to what the hell he is doing.

"Ichigo? Are you alright?" I ask the pointless and very stupid question, half out of obligation and half out of fear. Ichigo responds by grabbing me by the throat and lifting me up to his face.

"You...Ruined...Everything!!" Ichigo snarls.

"No...You brought this upon yourself." I regret my words as they come out. Ichigo's face twitches and he howls like some kind of demented wolf. I suddenly can't process what is going on. Everything happens so fast. Rukia screams, Ichigo roars, on-lookers gasp in shock, something explodes...

I snap out of the trance when a sudden onset of excruciating pain hits me. I grit my teeth and wince as my stomach burns. I look down at my damaged body. My whole torso is singed and scarred. There is blood all over me; in fact there is so much of it that I can't tell where the wounds are. I cough violently and lay back against the wall that blocked my flight-path.

Ichigo is still in the air, his sword outstretched. Smoke is rising from the blade and its sinister black aura is still enveloping him. Rukia is on the ground. She is on her knees, surrounded by a group of shinigami who are tending to her. I don't really know what happened, but no doubt Ichigo took his rage out on both of us. He hurt Rukia...for that, I will never forgive him! Now...I'm...Pissed!

"ICHIGO!!!" I roar. I can barely stand, but I can still stab the ground and summon a Daku Torunedo. I glare at him, hate flickering in my eyes. I wordlessly fire the black twister at my opponent and wait for it to hit. Ichigo tries to block it, but it overpowers whatever technique he tries to use against it. I watch Ichigo stagger backwards from the explosion, his uniform torn and his flesh as well. We're both in bad shape...this won't last much longer. This rather pointless battle will end in death, thought it never should have happened. We had a common enemy, yet here we are, fighting amongst ourselves...

Ichigo roars and charges up his next blast. He charges for me, screaming madly. I tense for the coming attack, but it never happens. The world turns black for a second and then when it goes back to normal, Ichigo is gone...

I look at something down below. Ichigo is bloodied and beaten. Something just knocked the life out of him, but what could possibly do that?!

"!!!" The hollow roar is so loud I become deaf for a short time. I turn sharply to see the colossal hollow which stands over the buildings and casts a shadow over almost the entire town. Its hand alone is the size of a house. It looks like Godzilla, only it's not a cheap Japanese movie prop, its gigantic monster with a white mask and jaws so large they could swallow a street in one bite.

The hollow must be the thing that wiped out a whole army of shinigami a while ago, though how such a monster could actually hide at all is a mystery to me.

"What is that thing?!" Rukia screams.

"It's our little baby!" Beth answers. "This is Ribaiasan; he is the greatest weapon in our whole army! We worked for long years creating the ultimate hollow and he is the end result. Not only is he so immensely huge and strong that he can endure anything, but he has the speed of a regular shinigami too! That means he can move just as fast as you but punch several thousand times harder! No-one can defeat him! No-one!" Beth laughs maniacally. "You can try and take him down, but I doubt you will get far. But if you manage to bring him down, I'll finish you off!" She giggles and looks straight at me. "Maybe you should have kept your eye on the real enemy?" She laughs mockingly and I curse under my laboured breath.

Without a word I send a Daku Torunedo at the colossus and the giant blast merely pushes him back a bit. I might as well have just tickled him with a feather, it probably would have done the same amount of damage.

I send several Moretsu Na Kaze at the beast, but it vanishes from sight. I can't believe it! That giant thing just used Shunpo!! How?! The giant fist slams into me and I pass out instantly. I'm in a coma before I even hit the ground.

*****

The battle was over so fast. That thing took me and Ichigo out in less than a minute. Even if we threw everything we had at it, could we actually defeat it? I assume I'm only asking myself but someone answers.

~It depends on how strong you feel.~

I look around and realise I'm back in my subconscious. Ryo No Shugojin strolls up to me and frowns, his scales wrinkling and creasing.

"Ryo...What happened? Why did everything go wrong?!"

~You have been thrown into something far beyond your current abilities Alex. You are not the strongest hero in the world. You have been relying on yourself and yourself alone to conquer your foes, but the combined courage of many warriors can bring down even the mightiest opponent!~

I nod slowly and sigh. "It's a shame I only figured this out when it is too late..."

~It is not too late to save your friends. There is still time to defeat your enemies. I will not let you die without giving you everything I have!~ Ryo glows as he speaks and pillars of wind form around us. ~This creature will not kill us! We shall not fall to a lowly hollow no matter how large it is! I know as well as you that your true opponent is that girl...Beth. I shall fuse my strength with yours until she is defeated...Only then may you die with honour, in the blood of you enemies!~

I nod and clench my fists. Together we're going to have one more round and if we go out...we go out with a big fucking bang. Ryo extends a hand and the pillars of wind encircle us before enveloping us. The wind rages around us and in an explosion of intense energy it becomes absorbed into my body. Ryo disintegrates and the particles become absorbed into my flesh. My body glows like he did only moments before and a dark blue aura envelops me. I raise my sword to the sky and roar at the top of my lungs. A battle cry that only I can hear in the world of my inner thoughts.

"It's time!!" I roar.

The final battle? Will my last stand end in victory or defeat? Will I ever return to Australia without being in a casket? Find out in the next chapter!

Please review, but no flames.


	17. Davids vs Goliath

**17.**

This story is so much fun to write! I just can't stop, it's a shame it's nearly over... Anyway, please read on and review!

I drag myself out of the dirt and brush away the people who are watching over me.

"Alex, you are in no condition to fight!" The grey haired healer tries to sway me but I merely push her aside. I am no mood for argument. The fourth squad members leave me while I storm out into the street. It's a short walk to the park and when I arrive there the mammoth hollow is back, swatting at several captains who narrowly avoid the bone-crushing punches.

I approach the gathered army of captains and lieutenants. We study the creature, hoping to find a weakness, but it seems there is none. Beth was right, this creature is practically invulnerable to defeat...

"I say we all just hit it with everything we've got...I don't think any kind of strategy will work..." Everyone nods at my plan.

Kyouraku, Ukitake, Kenpachi, Kommamura, Toshiro and I all draw our swords. We all release our shikai but I sigh and look to my comrades. "We may need more than just shikai to defeat this thing. Can you all do Bankai?" They nod and release the next stage of their releases except for Kenpachi who merely waves his sword around laughing.

"Let's go!" Kommamura points his sword at the monstrously large hollow and we charge. Zaraki leads the way but we all stop when we notice the large garganta forming in the sky. Kenpachi keeps running right into a hollow ambush. We immediately hack our way through them in an attempt to recover Zaraki, but we all feel his insane reiatsu and see the yellow aura burning into the sky.

"This is taking too long!" Kommamura roars while swinging his sword down over a hollow. I've been wondering where his Bankai is but then I see it. A giant golem swings his sword down in the same manner of his master, only his sword which is the size of a skyscraper takes down at least five dozen hollow in one hit. I stare at the immense blade and for a second I think it alone could destroy the huge hollow, but then Raiabasan appears. The monster swings its fist and the golem slashes the huge hand with its sword. The golem is barely half the size of the creature...even it is weak against the monster, though it manages to mangle two fingers on Raiabasan's mighty hand.

"We need to get rid of these damn hollows!" I roar. At that moment a large blast of ice takes down a large force of the hollows. Rukia and Toshiro stand side by side, both combining their ice powers to freeze our opponents. The golem pushes the mammoth back while Ukitake and Kyouraku knock down the living wall of frozen hollows. I release several Moretsu Na Kaze at Raiabasan and they hit the beast in the chest, tough it barely does much damage. I curse and repeat the move after summoning my hollow side. They hit dead on again and manage to push the creature back and make him bleed. A huge drop of blood lands near us and it floods the surrounding area. We all flash step out of the way and prepare for the next round.

Zaraki charges straight for the beast, ignoring the difference in strength and size. The huge fist slams down on Zaraki and a small earthquake results from the impact. We all assume Zaraki is dead, crushed into the earth like a bug...but we underestimated the legendary captain of eleventh squad...the great Zaraki Kenpachi! Zaraki laughs insanely from under neath the giant fist. His sword is the size of a hair in Raiabasan's eyes, yet he managed to block the attack.

"He...stopped the fist!" Ukitake stared wide-eyed at the amazing feat.

"IS that it?! Zaraki roars before unleashing a huge blast of energy into the hand. The already mangled hand rose up to the creatures face. It considers its wounded hand but then punches again.

Kyouraku flash steps onto the wrist of the giant creature. He buries his blade into the thick hide of the hollow and then begins cutting out a chunk of flesh. It takes him several minutes to craft a cape out of the grey skin. No-one bats an eyelid to the odd display but I can't believe his stupidity. He's doing craft when he is supposed to be fighting!

Kyouraku says something but I only understand one word...'Grey'.

Kyouraku hacks at the creature's wrist again and all of a sudden his whole arm is gushing blood and his hand falls off!

"What the hell did he just do?!" I scream in disbelief. He just incapacitated the giant creature.

More hollows arrive to help and Ukitake takes to the stage, fending them off alone.

Kommamura, Kenpachi and I follow Shunsui's lead and we follow the leviathan. We all believe we can kill it now! Blood is literally raining down on us as the mammoth tries to flee. We jump over the amputated hand and keep following. We continue to follow until something hits us. Shunsui is knocked down by someone. One of the Hollow Hearts Army...a man with a grey moustache, has taken down Kyouraku. His sword has penetrated Kyouraku's chest and if he has a heart, I bet it's been pierced by the blade.

"Kyouraku?!" Kommamura rushes to avenge his fallen comrade and he duels the intruding soldier.

"It's just you and me kid!" Kenpachi roars, nearly lost in his bloodlust. "Let's kill the bastard!!" I nod and rush after the insane warrior. We close in the monster which whirls around to face us. We freeze and while I stare at the creature, Kenpachi grabs his sword with two hands and assumes a Kendo stance.

I just watch Kenpachi as he raises his sword. The yellow aura grows and nearly envelops me. I notice his eye patch is gone. Kenpachi howls with laughter as energy surges around him. I must be seeing things because I spot a giant skull amidst the strange aura. Kenpachi roars and the reishi that surrounds him increases in size like a growing flame. Kenpachi sends the blast at the creature by swinging his sword down. The earth is chewed up by the blast and the leviathan just stares at it. It opens its mouth and roars. Somehow, its roar holds off the attack for a while, but it does not last and the blast eventually hits him, exploding across his stomach. Unfortunately, the powerful blast was weakened by the block, but it still does some serious damage.

Kenpachi wheezes and groans. "Damn! That thing is tougher than he looks...I'm gonna kill him this time!!" He jogs off, no longer able to run full tilt. It's not too long before he too is ambushed.

I curse and flash step over the Hollows until I alone am standing against the monster.

Raiabasan considers me with his pool-sized eyes and his great jaws open to reveal fangs that could cut through reinforced concrete. And leave a crater big enough to sleep in.

"So...One on one huh?" I ask the creature though I know there is no way for him to respond except for his Godzilla roar. "Let's end this!" I challenge the creature. I hollowfy and close my eyes.

_Come on Ryo...let's show him our strength!_

_~Very well. We shall destroy him with one blow! Channel all your energy into your blade. I shall reserve some strength for your battle with Beth.~_

I do as he asks and electricity buzzes around me while a fierce wind surrounds me. Dust is blown around my face but I control the wind so that it does not blow it in my eyes. A blue aura surrounds me and reishi gathers around my sword.

Raiabasan stares at me, ignoring his wounded arm and chest. He is ready to take the brunt of the attack.

"Take this you freak! !!!!" I swing my blade up over my head and then back down. It is heavy with reishi but it shoots off in a mighty surge of deadly energy. Raiabasan swipes at it with his only good hand and the blast incinerates his whole arm before burning into his side and stomach. The mighty creature roars in pain as it falls to his knees. The tremors caused by it knock me around and a building behind me crumbles. I try to dodge the debris but it falls in a solid sheet, crashing down on me and drawing this battle.

Raiabasan can no longer fight, but he is still alive. In fact if he had a mind to, he could bite us and eat our whole army in one gulp.

I crawl out from under the pile of rubble and cough up dust. I drag myself into the open and I glare at the immense hollow which still stands over us. My allies are still fending off regular hollows which seem to have increased in number. We are all unable to end this battle...It looks like the hollows may win.

Outnumbered and broken, our force still struggles on. Shunsui has not moved at all...I fear it may be over for him. Kommamura is still locked in battle with his opponent who due to his smaller size seems to be overpowering the fox-man. Toshiro and Rukia are surrounded by hollows. I can't see them over the masked heads, but the ice that is shooting out from one spot reassures me they are alive. Kenpachi is on his knees, slashing wildly at the hollows in a courageous feat of strength and endurance. Ukitake is still fighting against hollows.

I feel useless now. I gave it my all and I still failed to bring down the monster.

Raiabasan growls and uses his unnatural flash step to move over to a different area. He then brings his mouth down to the earth. He bites into the ground and takes away the whole road and everything on it in one bite. I realise he just attacked the area where our infirmary was set up.

The agonised screams of the wounded and their healers makes me wince. I can hear it from such a distance as though they were right behind me. I close my eyes and try not to think about the many lives just lost...

_Please...Someone help us!_

Raiabasan prepares to bit again when something appears in front of his face. A wall of swords forms out of nowhere and covers the leviathans face. They explode and the shards all hit the monster in the face. I don't know what just happened, but it has knocked Raiabasan down. The monster lands on his back and the shards all return to one spot to form wings around someone. The warrior then creates a sword made form the shards. He charges at the incapacitated giant and I no longer can see him. Raiabasan's body disintegrates after the attack and I can't help but cheer.

The triumphant warrior disappears and returns near Toshiro and Rukia. The shards explode outwards and take down the majority of the hollows in that area.

I look at the rest of the captains and realise that Kenpachi is no longer in sight. They have overpowered the mighty warrior and death has claimed him. I begin to shake. These captains are so much stronger than me...if they are dying, then I am screwed.

I dwell on the prospect of dying and my weakness as the battle around me rages on. Kommamura's Bankai claims a large group of hollows and allows Ukitake to join him in fighting the moustached man. They continue to fight while Toshiro and some of the lieutenants regroup and fight the main force. I sense someone coming towards me, I wait for them to arrive, but I already know who it is before she get's here.

Rukia kneels down next to me and helps me into a seated position against a broken piece of wall.

"We're safe here..." She mutters. "It is best to leave the rest to the captains, we have fought hard enough.

"Yes, you have earned a break." Urahara arrives out of nowhere. His haori is tattered and torn, but he seems to only have a few scratches on his face. He looks remarkably unscathed besides that.

"So we all made it?" I ask delightedly, though I am too exhausted to sound too happy.

"Ichigo is in the care of the fourth squad. They were ruffled by the surprise attack, but most of their higher ranking staff survived."

"What about the captains?"

"Well, there is still much fighting to be had before this war is over. Right now, I am not sure; though I cannot feel Kyouraku's presence...Kenpachi is also untraceable..." Urahara bows his head and so does Rukia, but I stare straight up at the small shadow atop one of the broken buildings. It is Beth and Alex is with her! They both drop down to us and Beth smiles at me. She hurls Alex at us and Urahara catches her and lets her down against the wall. She hugs me and sobs into my shoulder but I don't pay much attention...my murderous gaze is set on Beth and I am unable to ignore her.

"You look angry." Beth mutters.

"I will kill you." I state calmly.

"Oh, how are you going to do that?" Beth asks arrogantly.

"I'll do the same thing I did to your pet!" I rise shakily to my feet and lean against my sword as if it were a cane. My hollow mask is completely gone now and I doubt I have enough energy to use it again...all I have left is Ryo No Shugojin's stored energy. After that I will be so drained that I may die. Beth seems to know my lack of energy and she looks down at herself.

"So, we both don't have much left in us...That will make this fun!" She twirls her cutlass around. "This time...We fight to the very end!"

"Very well. I will grant your death-wish!" I jab my blade out in front of me and point the tip at my foe.

"Big words, but can you still beat me after the beating you took?" Beth assumes a defensive stance.

"Like I need to be on top of my game to defeat a harlot like you!" I say arrogantly. Beth gasps at my words and then scowls at me.

"How dare you call me that! I'll have your head now!"

"Come get it then!" I challenge.

We both charge at each other and cross blades. This will be the final battle to decide the war! Once Beth is dead, the war will end in victory and the world will be safe once again...but if I fail...well, I don't want to think about that...I have to win! My life and the world depend on it.

It's very 'Mary-Sue' now, but I don't care. How can you put yourself in Bleach and not have epic battles? So, I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am. There is not much of this story to go, only two more chapters at the most. Don't miss them!!

Please review!!


	18. Grand Finale

**18.**

Beth and I stand perfectly still, our blades crossed in a steel X. Our murderous glares bore into each other. The wind blows our hair about and dust gets in our eyes but we do not blink. I have never felt such tension in my life, though when in the life of a normal (Well, almost) teenager do you have to fight for your life against ghostly warriors.

My seemingly simple existence has been forever changed by this whole trip. Who would have thought that the girl I practically ignored on the flight here would be the one I would have to slay in cold blood for the fate of the world? Even though her death will end this war, will I really be able to go back to Australia? Or will I be forever stranded here to fight hollows and stain my hands in the blood of my enemies?

No matter what lays ahead, it will not change this moment. I have to kill Beth!

With a grunt of effort I put all my weight into the sword and knock Beth back. She leaps nimbly onto a small brick wall. I slowly walk towards her, the loose rocks and debris at my feet crunching like wafers beneath my feet.

Beth looks tired. Her shoulders are slumped and her eyes reveal her weariness. She blinks slowly and then re-focuses on me. I can't really run, so I walk to her, struggling to conceal my limp. You would think a final battle would be really epic and fast like in a movie, but those actors forget that they have been stabbed ten times before fighting the big bad guy. In reality, it is slow, laboured and more painful than a proctologist gone mad. (Yeah that's really gross, but it lightened the mood didn't it?)

I drag my sore leg behind me and arrive before my rival. Beth screams like a banshee and jumps down from the wall swinging her blade down on me. I bring my sword up in defence, just in time to stop my head from being bifurcated. Beth ducks and swings her cutlass at my feet. I try to jump over but my sore leg has a time delay that allows her to hack through my ankle, destroying the bone and severing the tendon.

I roar in agony and fall onto my face, dropping my sword in the process. I reach out for my sword but Beth stomps on my reaching digits and effectively breaks them. As she laughs wickedly, I curl into a ball and cradle my ruined hand.

"Where has all your strength gone? I thought you were gonna kill me?"

"I will!!" I snap like an angry child. My battle-hardy self has worn away like a sea-side cliff face. Beth waves a finger and scolds me before booting me in the ribs. I cough violently and spasm on the ground. She doesn't hit like a girl...

"I may be tired and weak, but I can still grind you to mince meat!" She laughs at her sadistic little joke and then flashes me a smile so out of place it makes me wince. "I'll make you suffer!"

"I thought you said I was cool?" I ask, remembering the flight from Australia.

"That was the past...and that was before you joined the enemy. If you had stayed out of this whole incident then I would have spared you." She tries to sound sincere and part of me wants to believe her, but I know she's talking shit.

"You suck at lying." I mutter. Beth kicks my side and I roll around more.

"You don't learn do you?"

"Not from those dumber than myself." I retort. Beth kicks at me but I catch her foot. I can't help but smile at her shocked expression. I can't use my free hand so I instead thrust my elbow into her shin. It makes her squeal and hop around. I crawl to my sword but she flash steps over and punches me in the jaw. I taste blood and spit it out onto the ground nearby.

"You little bastard! I'll get you for that!" Beth has gone red in the face, probably more from embarrassment than from rage. I laugh and she jabs her cutlass at my stomach. I roll aside and snap kick her hand. She staggers back and tries to snatch her sword away but I beat her to it. The handle tingles in my grasp and it feels unnatural to wield my opponent's weapon. I use it as a cane to get to my feet and then I lunge. I hack at her side but she dodges. She still has freedom of movement and therefore the advantage, even if she is unarmed.

I flash step behind her but land awkwardly and trip. I catch myself before I drop to the ground and lunge again. Beth steps aside and sweeps her leg out and trips me over. She then snatches her weapon from my hand and then drives me into the dirt. Before I can get away, she thrusts the cutlass into my back. Stinging tears streak down my cheeks as I feel organs become pierced by the large blade. It sinks through my flesh and comes out of my chest and into the ground beneath me. I'm pinned face down on the ground.

"What will you do now?" Beth asks arrogantly. "It's over now Alex."

"NO!!" It's the other Alex, the female one. I just remember that she has been watching this entire thing unfold...it must be horrible for her. It makes me feel worse and suddenly I can't stop crying.

"Wow, you're still a kid." Beth groans.

"Well I'll stab you and see if you cry." I reply through sobs.

"Hell no! I'm done with the games now! I will end this now! Your death will reinvigorate our forces and we will decimate the last resistance you have set up here.

"You're wrong! If you kill him, then you will suffer the wrath of all of his friends!" Urahara steps up and shows his sword. Rukia joins him in a defensive stance that does little to sway Beth.

"Fine." She twists the blade and I feel blood gushing around inside me. I'm really going to die this time! The fourth squad are far away and too busy to treat me. Orihime is nowhere to be found and Rukia has nowhere near enough healing powers to help me. It is over. I can't reach my sword, so there won't be a big heroic sacrifice or anything. In the end I was as useless as I was at the start...

"Alex!" Rukia rushes to my aid but Beth takes advantage of Rukia's distracted state and sneaks up behind her before chopping her on the side of the neck. Rukia falls forward and Beth takes up my sword. She flash steps back to Rukia and stabs her in the stomach. Rukia flops forward and grasps her wounded stomach. For an instant she looks to me and I see the fear and despair in her eyes.

I want to cry out her name but I am too weak. I have lost so much blood that I am becoming dizzy.

I want to just close my eyes and wait for death, but something makes me look up into the sky. A shadowy figure is soaring down towards us. I can't make out who it is from this distance, but he is wearing a billowing, torn overcoat. I see flickering eyes and bright orange hair and in an instant I know who it is, though I'm not sure whether to be relieved or afraid.

Ichigo lands right in front of me and grabs the cutlass that is holding me down. I can't see him while he yanks it out but I then roll over and stare at him. Ichigo frowns at my chest where a large gaping hole is flowing freely with my blood. I groan and sway from side to side.

Beth barrels into Ichigo and knocks him over. She then discards my sword and takes up her trusty cutlass. She wants to finish me off with her own blade. I stare at the crimson steel and I feel my stomach tighten. I can't do anything now...I'm screwed.

"Alex!" Ichigo roars. I glance over my shoulder and watch him pick up my sword. "Catch!" He extends his arm out to throw it and Beth acts instantly. I curse in the back of my mind. Her mind worked so fast. The one chance is now over...Or so I thought.

Beth grabs at empty space. She turns around and her eyes widen. I look up to see Ichigo standing over me. He hands me the blade and looks right into my eyes.

"She's yours."

I nod and smile before raising my blade with my one working hand.

"I meant Rukia." He mutters. That only makes me feel better...stronger! I glare at Beth and then close my eyes. Ryo grins at me.

~Kill her. End your personal battle with her life!~

I suddenly think of a clever last line and it makes me grin like a tool. "I thought you would be cool." Beth seems to remember our on-flight conversation and it makes her laugh. "It's over now Beth. You can beat us when we are alone, but when we are united, we are unstoppable!" Beth sighs and charges. She screams louder than ever before, an insane battle cry for the desperate last stand of a beaten foe. I roar like an untamed beast and then perform the finishing move. "MORETSU NA KAZE!!"

The blast of pressurized wind hits her dead on and an explosion of reishi and dust makes it impossible to see. I fall on my stomach and drop my sword which reverts back to a regular katana.

"Is she dead?" I ask breathlessly.

Without even looking Ichigo answers. "Yeah..." He offers a hand and helps me up. Urahara takes my other side and they carry me through the dust. Urahara mutters something and a strong gale blows away all the dust. I look down at the dead Goth girl. I can't help but feel sorry for her. She was probably like me, just a regular person drawn into this crazy world with no way out other than battle. Her expression is calm despite her previous madness. I reach out and close her eyelids. Her black top is torn from the battle and a large gash that runs right up her torso can be seen clearly. I button up her leather jacket to hide the hideous wound and then leave her.

We approach Rukia and Alex. Alex is cradling Rukia and compressing a cloth to her wound. Urahara moves her aside and uses his own healing kido on Rukia. The wound is not too deep; she was merely shocked and passed out.

Urahara leaves Rukia to rest while he stops the bleeding from mine. He can't do any more than clot my blood, but it ensures that I won't die so I am thankful.

Urahara watches the battle still raging on the skyline. "I'm sorry, but I must help them. This battle is far from over." Kisuke disappears leaving the four of us to rest against a large boulder which is becoming warmed up by the suns glowing rays.

Alex watches over Rukia after informing us she knows first aid. We let her do so even though it is not necessary.

I sit beside Ichigo, staring at the fire on the horizon.

"So...you came to your senses eh?" I ask. Ichigo sighs and places a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I...I acted like a dickhead...I flipped out like a lunatic and you were right. I could never kill you, not for the way you saved Rukia..."

"No problem. I hope you're fine with our situation now?"

"I'm still torn up, but if it makes Rukia happy..." He sighs heavily as if it is hard to say. "...I'm all for it."

"Thanks."

"You saved a lot of people today. You may not know it but if you weren't here then most of Karakura would be destroyed and many people would be dead." Ichigo tries to praise me but I disagree.

"I still failed to save many others...its only victory if there are no innocent victims...I won, but barely..." My words make Ichigo laugh.

"You think a lot like me." That thought scares me for a second and Ichigo laughs hysterically. "That's a compliment!"

"Sorry." I chuckle sheepishly. A loud explosion interrupts us. We stare at the raging fire and the explosions going off in the distance.

"So...what now?" Ichigo scratches at his oddly coloured hair.

"I want to stay for a while." Ichigo almost falls over. "There may not be hollows in Australia...but there is something about this place that feels like home..." Ichigo nods and we watch the flames go out.

*****

I wake up with crusted eyes and a stinging pain in my gut. I grunt from the pain and sink further into the mattress. My heavy eyelids open and close rhythmically for a few seconds until they can stay open. I look around and stare in disbelief. It's my apartment!

I thought it was destroyed in the war, but it seems perfectly fine! I hear a light moan and look at the other side of the bed. Rukia rolls around and her eyelids drift open lazily. She smiles wearily at me and I feel warm inside.

"It's over..." I feel so happy saying it. I could scream it from the rooftops, but I don't want to look like a retard so...No!

"What happened?" She whispers. I take her through the final few minutes of the battle and Ichigo's appearance. I then tell her about Ichigo's trick and how he retrieved my sword and then the final blow. Rukia smiles and averts her gaze. "So he snapped out of it?"

I look at the calendar and sigh. "We're late."

"Huh?" Rukia cocks her head but understands when I slip into the school uniform. We get dressed in a matter of seconds and then hurry out the door. We use Shunpo to get to school even faster and then stumble through an elaborate excuse for our lateness.

Orihime squeals with delight when she sees us and everyone stares at her. When the red shade in her cheeks fades and everyone ignores her she leans over my shoulder and whispers. "I'm glad you're okay."

I look around the room and notice several empty seats. Those two guys...Chad and Uryu are not here. There are a few more absent students who I doubt are just having a sick day. I take my mind off of that and think of the fun times I had in this country. I zone out completely and the day passes by quickly. At the end of the day I receive a text message from a family member. They ask if I am alright and if I am enjoying my stay in Japan. I answer affirmatively to both and then return to my friends.

"I'm going to book a flight back tomorrow." I interrupt their conversation about some movie and everyone gasps.

"I thought you were going to stay?!" Ichigo yells.

"I am, but I want to see my family and get the rest of my stuff. I'll only be gone for a few days." I reassure them that I will return and they nod and say their goodbyes. Tatsuke hugs me and thanks me for helping her understand the world of shinigami. I then get to Ichigo and he extends a hand for me to shake. He then pats my shoulder and thanks me. I nod and give my good wishes.

Orihime talks endlessly for the rest of the walk home. When we arrive at the front door Orihime wraps her arms around me and constricts me like a python...A python with large breasts...After a soppy farewell we part ways. I spend the rest of the day talking to Rukia while booking the flight online. Afterwards we just sit on the couch and talk more. When we are finally too tired to stay awake much longer, we kiss. We drift off in each others arms...A good way to end the day.

*****

The next day I sneak out while Rukia is still asleep. My flight was booked early in the morning and I despise the airline for it. I call a taxi and when I get in I recognise the driver as the one I had o the way here.

"Hello again!" I chirp, a simple facade to hide the fact I am so tired I could doze off right now. The driver mutters in his native tongue and I write down on a small card that I want to go to Karakura airport. He shrugs his shoulders and we again drive in silence.

I try and force small talk but he really must not know English because he continues answering in Japanese. When we finally arrive at the airport I thank him and give him a thirty cent tip. As I close the door I swear I hear him say, "Asshole."

As I wander into the airport I get in the cue of tired travellers. It feels like deja vu, especially when I zone out and watch the crowds with glazed over eyes. As the line shifts I snap out of it and move two steps forward before zoning out again. I wait until a young Japanese woman studies my ticket and sends me off to the security check.

A burly Asian man takes my bags and puts them in a scanner. He then forces me through the gate and scans me. When he finds nothing special he lets me go and I move to the lounge area as I await my flight.

I sit down and look around pointlessly while listening to my Ipod. I spot a Goth girl and instantly feel fear. When she starts talking to a large group of girls in a cheery tone I no longer feel afraid. I instead do what I like best and ogle the large group. I enjoy the view until someone steps in front of me.

"Alex?" The girl asks. I look up and notice flowing black hair.

"Alex?" I ask. She laughs and sits down next to me.

"What a coincidence!"

"Yeah. So...you aren't staying in Japan any longer?" I ask simply.

"No...I don't know what happened on that day but I am not going to stay and wait for it to happen again!"

"Good point..." I reply. "I'm going to get my stuff and move in permanently."

Alex smiles. "Good for you."

We force idle small talk for twenty minutes until we get on board. I get my window seat this time and I look out the window for several hours, watching the world fly by. We chat for a while in-between and then we watch the movie. This time it is some action movie I have never seen before.

When we arrive in Sydney I find my family waiting. I wave like a complete moron as I head down the stairs and then I rush to meet them.

*****

It's been two days now. I gathered the last of my belongings and have packed them into several bags. My dads car whined as the heavy luggage was placed in the back. I chatter excitedly about Japan, deliberately cutting out everything to do with shinigami and hollows and the fact that I have killed quite a few people. My brother tags along to be the annoying little shit that he is (I speak ironically because even though he is little he is 18 years old so...yeah...).

"So did you have any Asian food over there?" My brother asks. I shake my head and he moves onto another question. It's almost as if he has a list he is reading from because he asks any old crap that comes to mind.

I yell at him and he stops asking questions. I feel like an idiot for resorting to parenting tactics to stop him. The car arrives at the airport and I say goodbye to my family for the last time. I promise to visit them again someday but...We'll see.

I wave as I use one hand to drag my luggage away. I get help carrying some of it, like the guitar case and the box of books and the box of...well I could go on but you get the idea.

The security guard looks pleased to see so many bags and boxes. He scowls at me and checks them individually, then I get into the next area. While I wait I think of what exciting adventure awaits me on my return to Karakura Town.

And so, I wait in line at Sydney airport...Ending this story in the same way that it began...

**_THE END_**

I'll leave that open for a possible sequel in case I ever want to write one, Anyway, I hope you had fun reading this. It's been my longest story ever and it was very fun writing it, hopefully you felt the same way reading it. thank you to those who reviewed and for those who haven't, please do. 

So, I'll say it again - **_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_**


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